Zhao Dabao, a city businessman driving a black sedan, barges into the isolated Kaoshan Village and shatters its peace. Zhang Fugui seizes the chance to cozy up to Zhao Dabao, while secretly coveting Liu, a widow who lives alone. One day, Zhang spies on Liu as she washes clothes and cleans herself by the stream, then tries to assault her. Wang Ergou, who has come to catch fish, catches him in the act. Before fleeing in a panic, Zhang turns the accusation around and falsely claims Wang tried to take advantage of Liu. With a basket and black cloth covering her head, Liu cannot see the real culprit and mistakenly believes Wang was the attacker. That night, Zhang once again peeps over the wall as Liu bathes. He accidentally drops a cigarette, starting a fire in a pile of firewood, then frames Wang for arson to destroy the evidence. To make the accusation stick, Zhang bribes the layabout Li San with cigarettes to give false testimony that he saw Wang peeping. The village chief believes the testimony and demands that Wang admit his wrongdoing and kowtow. Zhang takes the opportunity to order some thugs to pin Wang to the ground and beat him badly, warning him to give up for good. Liu witnesses the truth, but Zhang threatens her with an old story about her late husband stealing timber, leaving her furious but afraid to speak. Convinced that the respected Li Sitong can clear his name, the badly injured Wang forces himself to walk for two hours to the commune for help. Li Sitong appears outraged and promises to get justice for him, but he has already accepted a bribe from Zhang and is secretly plotting to smooth things over. A struggle over innocence and justice is only just beginning.
