A funeral, a Chinese opera about filial piety, and a strange encounter with a dead man's family lead Xie Ping to consider an alternative lifestyle to his city work as an insurance agent.

A funeral, a facial make-up, and a strange encounter, evoked Xie Pine, the hero, his doubts for life and thoughts on possibility of an alternative lifestyle. After his grandma's funeral, Xie Ping went back to the provincial capital to continue his job as an insurance agent. Some day, his client Gong Cheng died in a traffic accident. While his insurance firm was indemnifying the dead's family, Gong Cheng's mother could not stand her suffering and committed suicide through jumping down from a high building. Meanwhile, Xie Ping had also been weary of his ordinary life. He felt gradually that the provincial capital had been not his destination for heart. Therefore Xie Ping began to reconsider his life value. Finally in response to an inner calling, he went back to Pancheng, his hometown, to cook food for his parents, to accompany his parents, and to experience his leisure life. His decision met with opposition, both of his girlfriend Tian Ying and his parents. But, Xie Ping didn't want to change his resolution.—Zhang Guozhi