Wushuang township, Qinchuan, Shaanxi province, central northwest China, 1982, summer. At the suggestion of his cousin, village chief You Shuhua, You Bensheng (Zhang Xiqian) takes his young son You Tianming (Zheng Wei) from Earth Village to Water Village to convince suona master Jiao San (Tao Zeru) to take him on as a pupil. You Bensheng claims his son is the minimum age of 13 but Jiao San is dubious; nevertheless, he finally agrees to take him on. Soon afterwards, Jiao San takes on another young pupil, Lanyu (Hu Xianxu), who progresses faster than You Tianming and seems to be favoured by Jiao San. After hearing from Jiao San’s wife (Chi Peng) about the rarely performed suona virtuoso piece, Song of the Phoenix 百鸟朝凤, You Tianming questions his father about it when he returns home briefly; he learns it is only performed at funerals of very important people. You Tianming privately vows to be able to play it one day. Back in Water Village he and Lanyu progress with their studies of the instrument. Eventually, Jiao San nominates You Tianming as his successor and gives him a vintage golden suona, saying he’ll teach him to play Song of the Phoenix on it. Lanyu is devastated. Seven years later, You Tianming is an adult and Jiao San hands over leadership of the local band to him; but You Tianming finds he doesn’t automatically get the respect Jiao San had. Four years later, You Tianming bumps into Lanyu in town and the latter admits You Tianming was a better choice to be their master’s successor. Lanyu also reveals he has been secretly dating You Tianming’s younger sister, You Xiuzhi (Yuan Zhongfang), and the two are leaving for Xi’an, the provincial capital, in a few days’ time to find work. Times are changing as the country modernises, and the traditional suona band is losing popularity in the countryside.