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After the Sino-Japanese War, Kwei Dz, one of the family members of Japanese soldiers accepted a Chinese officer's proposal and remained in China. Later they had a daughter named Ann. The officer went to Hong Kong to work, leaving Kwei Dz and Ann in Macao. Kwei Dz, unable to communicate with her in-laws, much less accept their ways, became remorseful. Yet the worst problem she had was that Ann did not accept her as a mother. After Ann got a Master Degree in UK she went back to Hong Kong. Kwei Dz had been feeling very homesick for her mother country and decided to take Ann and return to Japan. In Japan, Ann began to understand her mother's pain because she did not understand Japan or the Japanese. Later a telegram from Canton arrived saying that Ann's grandfather had had a stroke. Upon seeing her to grandfather, Ann realized that, in spite of his now frail body, a body once tortured by Red Guards, he was so hopeful for China's future. Ann saw that China was now trying to find its own way in the midst of its self-inflicted turmoil.

A young fine-art teacher Kuo is assigned to teach in a small-town. Ah-Ming, an eight-year-old painting genius, is in Kuo's class. Ah- Ming performed badly in school, but he has great sense of color and shape; his imagination is always unique. However, the poverty of his family prevents him from freely painting. Kuo is in charge of selecting representive for a painting competition. Kuo votes for Ah-Ming, but all other teachers choose the mayor's son for the school's and their own benefit. Kuo leaves the school as a proterting gesture. Ah-Ming is upset by losing the support of Kuo in his creating. He gets a sudden liver sickness and dies. After that, the school learns that Kuo send Ah-Ming's work to an international competition, and it wins the gold medal. The school realizes Ah-Ming's talent, but it is too late.