Synopsis

In the days before the liberation of China, Shanghai was full of poor people seeking a better life. One of the places where they stayed was the Wen’s night inn. The owner, Wen Taishi, was a sly and cunning man. His wife, Sai Guanyin, was a licentious woman with a wild and carefree spirit. She began a secret relationship with a thief named Yang Qilang, but he fell in love with Shi Xiaomei, who was kind and pure-hearted. Consumed by jealousy, Sai Guanyin began mistreating Shi Xiaomei while plotting to poison Wen. Meanwhile, Yang Qilang and Shi Xiaomei were planning to elope, but Yang was caught by Wen Taishi who exposed his infidelity. A fight ensued, and Wen Taishi died of poisoning. Yang Qilang was arrested and thrown into jail as a suspect, his fate uncertain.