The beautiful Pan Jinlian (Hu Chin) is the wife of Wu Dalang (Chiang Nan), a dwarf of a man who sells pancakes in the street. After being seduced by her neighbour Ximen Qing they both conspire to murder Wu. Observed by the loud-mouthed fruit seller (played by Jackie Chan at the start of his career) the whole town soon knows of the plan. Ximen’s wealth and authority makes this knowledge of little concern and he and Pan marry, thrusting her into the Ximen household, vying with his other wives for attention.