Bun-nyeo, a girl in a mountain village loses her virginity to Myong-jun, the village vagabond. After both of her suitors die before they can wed Bun-nyeo, she moves to the city to work in a factory. Myong-jun persuades her to return to the village, but he is arrested for murder. As the film ends, Bun-nyeo is waiting for Myong-jun's release.
A farmer in a community near Jirisan falls in love with and marries an itinerant performer. She plans to betray him by robbing him and leaving with her old boyfriend, another itinerant performer, when he comes to the village. Eventually she realizes she loves the farmer and stays with him.
Oh Ka-hi is a popular madam in a nightclub in Mu-gyo-dong street. She supported her widowed mother and sister by working in a factory. Ka-hi and Tae-su, an honest boy, were in love. Then Dal-su, an animal of a man, raped her. With that, Ka-hi went from working at a bar to becoming a hostess at a cabaret. Ka-hi meets Hyun-wu and gets pregnant by him. She gives birth to Suk but learns too late that Hyun-wu is a married man. Dal-su persistently hounds her. He steals her bank account and takes the money she had earned with her tears and blood. To be worse, Suk dies from gas intoxication. Ka-hi falls into despair. Duk-sam, a driver, takes care of her. Ka-hi slowly rises from her nightmarish reality. In the end, she accepts Duk-sam's marriage proposal.
Kim Ik-do and his second wife, Hye-mi, are living happily on the deer farm when a new breeder is hired. Hye-mi recognizes him as the ex-boyfriend who betrayed her five years ago. She makes a move on him but he is suffering from amnesia. Through her devoted nursing, he makes a full recovery and regains his memory. He leaves Hye-mi but then returns, demanding her love. Ik-do is furious but ultimately bows to their love. However, the man's wife and young child come looking for him. Hye-mi falls into the embrace of her forgiving husband.
