In Republican-era Shanghai, the alleys of the Chinese-administered districts are teeming with all kinds of people. Respectability and degradation are separated by nothing more than a stone-gated courtyard.
Down-on-his-luck scion of a once-prominent family, Chang Bin abandons books and poetry to open a little mending shop. But no sooner does he open for business than he crosses a local gangster, and can’t even enjoy a bowl of hot soup in peace.
Imported goods are driving handmade crafts out of business, secret-police inspections keep the neighbors on edge, and the divide between the foreign concessions and the Chinese-administered districts leaves ordinary people struggling to breathe.
Some bow their heads for a bite to eat; others hold fast to the faintest glimmer of conscience. A dancer, a newspaper boy, a police officer, and a writer crowd into one narrow alley, living through every sorrow and joy of a turbulent age.
With a needle and thread as his blade and human kindness as his armor, he protects his family and looks after his neighbors. In a Shanghai alley battered by wind and rain, he becomes the source of strength for everyone around him.
Watch an ordinary young man make a living in the chaos of Republican-era China, earn a few coins, hold on to warmth, and fight his way to survival!
