Because of the poor harvest, the Liu family is forced to leave from under Kaifeng. The elder brother, Liu Tian-xiang, with his wife and daughter remain in the village, and the youngest, Liu Tien-zhui, with his wife and three-year-old son An-ju leave to seek happiness. Before the separation, the brothers draw up a letter - an inventory of the property, and each takes a copy. Witness is Warden Li, whose daughter is engaged to her son Liu Tien-zhui.

Liu Tien-Rui and his family settled near Luzhou with the rich and childless Zhang Bin-yi. Suddenly, Liu's family is overtaken by a disease. The wife dies first. Liu himself, before his death, asks Zhang to take care of his son so that when he grows up, he will rest their remains in his native land. Zhang promises.

15 years have passed. On the day of the commemoration of the ancestors, Zhang Bin-i tells the grown-up orphan Liu An-chu about his parents. He is going to take their bones to Kaifeng, and then return to take care of his foster parents.

At the threshold of his home, his aunt meets him. Trying to save all the property for her daughter and son in law, she does not want to recognize her nephew. By deceiving him by reading a letter - the only proof of the origin of An-ju, she sets up an old and stupid husband against a young man. In an argument, she hits her nephew on the head. Intervenes the passing headman Lee. Upon learning that he is facing his brother-in-law, he tries to appease the old people, but to no avail. Then Lee leads the young man to the judge. It turns out to be the famous Bao Zheng. After listening to them, he orders to put everyone involved in the case in a city prison.

After 10 days, in the meantime summoning Zhang Bin-yi, Bao arranges a trial. Aunt Liu An-chu continues to unlock. Bao pretends to believe her and sends the young man to death row. Soon it is reported that Anju died "from a headache." Bao accuses the aunt of the fact that she hit the young man, and explains: if she killed a stranger, then she would be executed, if her family, then the punishment would be easier. She admits that it was indeed her nephew, and she presents a letter of evidence. The judge succeeded in deceiving - the aunt was punished, Zhang Bin-i and the headman receive awards, and Liu An-ju for the filial piety - the degree of jinshi.