Lost on Journey

Li discovers he has been booked in economy class, forcing him to share a seat with Niu Geng, a naïve migrant worker. The clash of two very different lives sets the tone for a chaotic journey toward Changsha. What begins as an awkward encounter soon spirals into a test of patience and unlikely camaraderie.

From the airport, Li and Niu press on toward Changsha, facing misfortune and miscommunication at every turn. They stumble through delays, bad luck, and awkward negotiation as they realize they must rely on each other. The journey becomes a test of patience and budding, uneasy trust.

A heavy snowstorm forces the plane to turn back, ending the flight to Changsha. Li secures a train ticket, only to discover it is counterfeit and that the same seat Niu had bought is still in use. The disruption heightens the sense that every plan is vulnerable to random luck.

When a landslide blocks the tracks, the duo abandons the train and switches to a bus to push toward Changsha. The new plan is as fragile as the last, underscoring the unpredictable route ahead. They press on with stubborn determination.

A female beggar touches Niu for money just before boarding. Li scolds him for trusting her, and Li ends up boarding the bus alone while Niu stays behind. The moment foreshadows Li’s later reconsideration of who deserves help.

Hours later the bus returns to the station due to a broken bridge. Li and Niu meet again on the platform, and Niu reveals he still handed over some money to the beggar before she vanished. The exchange deepens their fragile bond and raises questions about trust.

A bridge closure over the Yangtze forces a stop in Wuhan, where they spot the beggar again. They discover the beggar is actually a teacher collecting funds for an operation for a visually impaired child. Moved, they donate all their money.

They buy a lottery ticket and win first prize: a car. They decide to drive it to Changsha, fueled by a mix of luck and stubborn hope. The prize becomes a catalyst for a longer, bolder trip.

Sleep deprivation catches up as Li lets Niu take the wheel; the car skids into a ditch and they barely escape an imagined explosion. After the scare, they have a quiet, candid conversation about their choices and futures, deciding to spend the night in a remote area. The moment marks a turning point for Li.

The next day they hitch a ride on a tractor transporting poultry and arrive in Changsha covered in chicken remnants. Li is stunned to find his mistress waiting in the city, but the journey has already begun to reshape his priorities. The surprising homecoming underscores Li’s transformation.

Li softens toward the vulnerable and learns to see the humanity behind beggars. He ends the affair and returns to his wife and child, while secretly arranging funds to back pay Niu—though Niu isn’t Li’s real creditor, the trust built on the road becomes his true compensation.

One year later Li boards a plane and questions a stewardess about the delay. The final passenger arrives: Niu, now a suited self-made boss who quit his job to become his own entrepreneur, calling Li with triumph as they are finally equals.