Before the outbreak of a foreign war, a secret tale of passion unfolds in a rural town centered on Mao, a young married woman. Her husband, the son of the village chief, is also an anti-war activist. When he is arrested by the Special Higher Police and military police and refuses to confess during interrogation, they bring Mao before him—stripped naked and publicly humiliated as a form of psychological torture. Despite her father-in-law's desperate pleas, she is eventually released. However, in another attempt to capture her husband, Mao is paraded naked through the town and assaulted in front of the entire community. The story follows her struggle to recover, leading toward an intense and dramatic climax.