Bongsu is a simple, honest farmer. No matter how hard he works the land, his situation never seems to improve, and due to lack of money, he's even had to postpone his daughter Soon-i’s marriage. His son, Young-ho, returns to the village after finishing his military service and is in love with Ok-kyung. Ok-kyung, who was raised in Bongsu’s household, now helps out at the bar run by Eok-jo’s wife. Worn down by poverty, Bongsu falls for the schemes of Eok-jo, a loan shark, and sells his cow to start a business selling secondhand goods. But when he goes to Seoul, he ends up getting swindled by a group of con artists.