A seventeen-year-old country boy working in Beijing as a courier has his bicycle stolen, and finds it with a schoolboy his age.

At the turn of the 20th century in old Beijing, three young men—Fuhai, Liu Fangzi, and Zhao Er—train in the traditional funeral trade at Dacheng Workshop. Though not related by blood, they are as close as brothers, weathering hardship together. But as time passes, their paths diverge. Fuhai is the eldest and most upright of the three, Liu Fangzi is slick and opportunistic, thriving in the chaos of the times by chasing power and wealth. Zhao Er, the youngest, is lazy and self-indulgent, always dreaming of getting rich without working for it. As the tides of history shift and the city falls under new powers, Fuhai is forced to abandon his trade and join Zhao Er as a patrolman. He later finds some solace in marrying the kind-hearted Miss Rui (Deng Jie). But in such a turbulent era, is there truly any refuge for a decent, honest man? Based on the novella by renowned author Lao She.