Beset with foreign threats and internal turmoil, China's concoction of woes compels its citizens to leave for Nanyang in search of a better life. When Shi Tou, manages to save enough money after years of working at a tin mine, he returns to marry his childhood sweetheart, Ya Zi. On the return trip, they cross paths with two penniless brothers, Zhang Tian Peng and Zhang Tian Ying with the former becoming Shi Tou's sworn brother out of gratitude. Framed for robbery and murder, Shi Tou is thrown behind bars while Ya Zi desperately seeks help. Feeling sympathetic towards them, Hui Niang and her stepbrother, Zhang Dong'en proves Shi Tou's innocence. When he returns back to the mine, Shi Tou is lured into a destructive spiral of gambling by his scheming boss and runs up a huge debt, while his supervisor, Hei Long lusts after Ya Zi's beauty and plots to ruin him.