The three females in the film are the righteous and honest Wu, her best friend Li and cousin Luo. The latter two are victims of their own tragic destinies, both being greeted by the infidelity and betrayal of their husband and lover, eventually ended up in either death or jail. It is Wu who refuses to lose heart and perseveres in spite of all hardships. Although made in Hong Kong and with exteriors unmistakably filmed on some of its streets and alleys, the film has the background of its story firmly set in Shanghai. The scattered narrative calls for many set pieces (a ballroom, a laundry shop, a co-op store, Li’s home, etc.) and with a shoestring budget, set designer Chan Ki-yui does an amazing job by not only delivering all sets in style and gentility, but also reproducing an aura that is subtly and eloquently Shanghai. (Note: The version to be screened is dubbed into Cantonese.)