Xie Shiyu, grief-stricken after her father is killed by a tiger while hunting to prevent her forced marriage to the Liu family idiot, goes to the Cheng family seeking money for a proper burial. Cheng Feng, her childhood sweetheart, and his mother scheme to disgrace her by luring her into sex, planning to expose the act and force a marriage without expenses. Overhearing their plot, Xie Shiyu pretends to agree, but instead trick Cheng Feng into undressing and washing, then runs out shouting assault, drawing a crowd. The village chief arrives, and after Xie Shiyu’s tearful testimony, the Cheng family is forced to pay for a coffin and the village provides a plot of land. Old Madam Xie, Xie Shiyu’s grandmother, protests and later returns home to beat Luo Shi, Xie Shiyu’s mother, and threatens to sell Xie Shiyu to the Liu family. Xie Shiyu grabs a kitchen knife, attacks her uncles, and wounds Old Madam Xie, demanding a family split. The village chief and the Xie clan leader intervene, forcing Old Man Xie to agree to a separation. Xie Shiyu, her mother, and her younger siblings receive a small courtyard from the clan. Following the burial, they move into the small courtyard. Exhausted, Xie Shiyu sleeps and wakes to find her siblings playing with a strange black crow with white vertical pupils. The crow speaks human words, crying for help, shocking Xie Shiyu.
