Luu Binh and Duong Le are two friends, but they are very different. Binh is from a wealthy family and is lazy and hedonistic, while Le is a hard-working student from a poor family. Binh often gives Le money to help him with his studies, and eventually Le gains his doctorate. Lazy Binh, however, is less successful and, having frittered away his inheritance, becomes a beggar.

Hearing of his friend’s academic success, Binh goes to Le’s house to congratulate him, but is not given a warm welcome. Binh, remembering his generosity to his friend, is angry and bitter. On his way home he befriends a woman named Chau Long who, unbeknown to him, is actually Binh’s wife. Binh explains to his wife that he is being unfriendly to Binh to try and force him to studt\y, and asks her to give Binh money.

Three years later, and still unaware of where the money is coming from, Binh gets his doctorate and goes to Le’s house to show him how successful he is. They have an angry confrontation, but fortunately Chau Long intervenes and explains the situation to Binh, and they become close friends again.

Vietnam is under the iron fist of the ruling Chinese Han dynasty. Two sisters, Trung Trac and Trung Nhi, encourage an armed uprising against the Hans, who retaliate by arresting Trac’s husband, Thi Sach, threatening to kill him unless Trac ceases the rebellion.

Trac bravely continues her fight and, along with Nhi, she leads an army to overthrow the Han invaders to restore Vietnamese independence. The two sisters (Hai Ba Trung) become two of Vietnam’s most revered heroines.