Chen Zhao, a mute mechanic in a small town, has a frightening scar on his face. He is usually quiet and reserved, and is used to recording every favor and debt in a homemade calendar ledger, repaying everyone silently with his skills. Over a misunderstanding about three hundred yuan in school fees, Xu Wanqing, a child's mother, slaps him in front of everyone and tears up the note he wrote to prove his innocence. Later, someone splashes red paint on him and calls him a "thief." Everyone in town avoids him, and no one is willing to listen to his silent explanation.
