In the winter of 1969, along the barren banks of the Yellow River, 30-year-old farmer Zhao Da remained unmarried. On her deathbed, his mother entrusted him to his granduncle Zhao Tiantang. Zhao Da was romantically involved with Gou Dan, a poor girl from a neighboring village whose mother was gravely ill. Out of kindness, Zhao Da sold his sheep to help them. However, militia minister Mi Laichang intervened violently, capturing Gou Dan. Humiliated at a struggle session, Zhao Da defended her and was severely beaten. Gou Dan, in despair, drowned herself in the Yellow River. Following her death, Zhao Da's friend Shuangxi attempted to find him a wife but failed. Zhao Da, in a fit of anger, took down a "ghost marriage" notice to fulfill his mother's wish, which led to further conflict with Mi Laichang. He buried Gou Dan's remains in his family's ancestral tomb and left home in tears.

城建局青年干部温可诚与糖果厂团干部黄燕相爱。黄燕被调到婚姻介绍所工作后，认识了熊文、李贵、鲁小宝灯男青年，发现他们由于工作的所谓“低贱”，受到一些姑娘的不公正的冷遇，黄燕决定帮助他们当好红娘。小温想把黄燕调回糖果厂，黄燕不同意，两人产生了误会。黄燕创办了游园会，把三个姐妹介绍给三个小伙子。温可诚也逐渐觉醒，自愿下放到“低贱”的清洁大队工作，并主动去婚姻介绍所找黄燕表达自己的爱恋之情，终于取得黄燕的谅解，与黄燕重归于好。

诸家老太有两个儿子梦龙和梦飞，以及一个养孙国荣。16年前，一伙以张振邦为首的歹徒为了报复诸老太在公安局工作的丈夫，欲把梦龙和梦飞活埋，国荣的父亲得知后，救出了兄弟俩，自己却被烧死，诸老太为了报恩，收养了国荣，并且对他十分疼爱。不想，16年后的今天，国荣却陷入了张的贩毒集团。梦龙出于对国荣的爱护，在知道国荣贩毒后，私下包庇他。在公安局工作的梦飞在缉拿国荣的过程中，国荣因拒捕被击毙，梦龙被梦飞带上了手铐。