The Qiaotou youth LI Wen-hsin was arrested during the December 10, 1979, demonstration spearheaded by Formosa Magazine. After being thrown into prison, he learned a way to survive: mixing saltwater with white rice. He also recalled wonderful times with his girlfriend A-chun, the joys and suffering he shared with friends and family, and his longing for democracy. In this prison, referred to by inmates as the “Hotel Saltwater,” Wen-hsin and his companions, though suffering greatly, never let their thirst for freedom be extinguished.

Thirteen-year-old Chuan becomes an orphan after his father dies while fishing. Not getting along with his uncle, he runs away from home and temporarily lives in Zhu's temple. A group of conservators come and the leader Hei drives Chuan away. Chuan plots revenge but accidentally discovers the secret of Hei’s night blindness. The two lonely souls thus begin living together in the attic…