A soldier (Hien) survives the war and comes back to live with his brother's family (Tien). He can't seem to adjust to civilian life after the war and feels increasingly alienated from other people, whom he finds calculating, selfish and materialistic.
In early-80s' Hanoi, a director of a state-owned factory welcomes his wife, a journalist, into a changed home after she spent some time away. As she struggles to make sense of their new wealth, he struggles to avoid embezzlement charges by a poor inspector—who turns out to be an old friend of hers.
Melodrama set in South Vietnam in the 1970s. Before liberation, Kha and Hien were in love but prevented from marrying by rigid class distinctions. After the war, Kha returns home with the rank of lieutenant colonel and finds Hien has lost her fortune and her status. Kha decides to protect Hien to repay his ‘debt’ of love to her.
