A Chinese film featuring the Beijing Opera Troupe. The story is set during the War of Resistance in Japanese-occupied territory to the west of Shanghai. Shajiabang is a small market town on the marshy reed-fringed shore of Lake Yangcheng where Aqing, who is secretly a Communist Party member, works in a small tea-house patronised by officers of the puppet "Loyal and Just National Salvation Army". Unbeknown to her patrons, Aqing is helping care for eighteen wounded soldiers of the New Fourth Army who are hiding in the marshes...