Liu Lanzhi and Jiao Zhongqing share a deep and profound affection. However, Zhongqing’s mother exhausts all means to drive Lanzhi out of the household. After Lanzhi returns to her own family, her relatives, driven by their own interests and concerns for reputation, force her to remarry another man. In despair, both Lanzhi and Zhongqing take their own lives. Eventually, the two families arrange for them to be buried together. Their spirits transform into birds, forever watching over and staying by each other’s side.