White Deer Plain

After the grain tribute cart returns, the villagers learn that the Emperor has been replaced by the Nationalist government. Juaxian and the villagers sense the shift in power affecting their village. The news sets the stage for growing political tension on White Deer Plain.

A drunk Lu Zilin returns to the village to report his new position as an official. His elevation marks the encroachment of the new political order into village life. The announcement unsettles the villagers who must navigate this changing power dynamic.

During a celebratory dinner, villagers report trouble with the KMT. Juaxian steps forward to lead the village in resisting the influence and coercion of the new government. He successfully drives off the small KMT contingent, at least for the moment.

In 1920, Lu Zilin's eldest son Lu Ziaopeng is to be married in an arranged match, but he runs off before the wedding. Hei Wa also flees due to his own arranged marriage orchestrated by Bai Juaxian. These departures set the stage for future family and village conflicts.

Hei Wa finds work with a wealthy family and becomes entangled with Tian Xiao-er, the youthful concubine. They are caught, tortured, and left for dead in a field. Hei Wa returns with Xiao-er to White Deer Plain and the couple are allowed to marry, but they are forbidden to honor their ancestors at the village shrine. Bai Juaxian enforces the punishment by casting Hei Wa out of the family.

Zhaopeng returns to teach at the local school as the KMT arrives to demand grain tribute. They threaten to shoot Juaxian if the villagers do not comply. Hei Wa, with Zhaopeng's help, sets fire to the fields at night; a villager is executed as a warning. Hei Wa and Ziaopeng then raid the ancestral hall, parading several villagers for corruption; one arrested village collapses and dies.

In 1927, police attempt to arrest Hei Wa and Zhaopeng. They escape, but Hei Wa leaves Xiao-er behind. Lu Zilin tries to rape Xiao-er but is interrupted by what they think is Hei Wa calling out; Hei Wa returns and is captured by villagers. The villagers punish Hei Wa and Xiao-er with whipping, and Xiaowen is forced to carry out the punishment.

Xiaowen is whipped at the ancestral hall for his arrangement with Xiao-er, and he chooses to stay with her despite his father's punishment. They drift into poverty and opium addiction as famine tightens its grip on White Deer Plain. Their bond deepens, but their choices pull them away from the family shrine.

Amid famine, Xiaowen enlists with the CCP and asks to bring money for Xiao-er, but the request is denied and he is taken away. Lu San tries to help, yet is beaten by CCP soldiers. Before he is carried off, Xiaowen hands Lu San the money meant for Xiao-er.

Lu San visits Xiao-er with food, only to kill her and cause her dwelling to collapse. His act triggers the village's scrutiny and leads to Lu Zilin's arrest for his official position. The ruin of the Bai family deepens in the wake of his crime.

Hei Wa returns to White Deer Plain as the head of a gang, seeking vengeance for Xiao-er. He threatens Juaxian with a knife, but Lu San intervenes and admits he killed Xiao-er, blaming her for their ruin. Hei Wa spares his father but beats Juaxian before leaving.

Hei Wa learns that Lu San has hanged himself, a culmination of the family's ruin and the endless cycles of violence and revenge. The village feels the weight of the tragedy as loyalties fracture further.

In 1938, Japanese aircraft darken the skies overhead, and the village runs for cover. Lu Zilin returns to White Deer Plain in a cart, only to have Juaxian call for him with no response as the bombardment subsides. The war beyond the village seals the fate of many families.