Set in a village right after the Korean War, poor but good-hearted Heo Sam-gwan sets out to win the most beautiful girl in the village, Heo Ok-ran, by selling his blood to earn money. Years later, the two are happily married with three children, but their family undergoes a crisis when Sam-gwan's eldest son doesn't resemble him and rumors spread about the boy's paternity.

地主少爷福贵嗜赌成性，终于赌光了家业一贫如洗，穷困之中的福贵因为母亲生病前去求医，没想到半路上被国民党部队抓了壮丁，后被解放军所俘虏，回到家乡他才知道母亲已经去世，妻子家珍含辛茹苦带大了一双儿女，但女儿不幸变成了聋哑人，儿子机灵活泼…… 然而，真正的悲剧从此才开始渐次上演，每读一页，都让我们止不住泪湿双眼，因为生命里难得的温情将被一次次死亡撕扯得粉碎，只剩得老了的福贵伴随着一头老牛在阳光下回忆。