At the end of this remarkable glimpse into a closed society, two women become neighbours in one of the villages of the Yellow Earth district in northern China. Their houses are caves cut into the cliff terraces.
One arrives in procession from the neighbouring village for her wedding party. It is an informal affair but, at the same time, a huge step for the bride, leaving her own village behind and becoming absorbed into the groom's family. They have already made the major commitment of their arranged marriage - buying the TV set for the marital home.
The other woman, Bai, and her husband Erping have had their television confiscated. This is because they have had a third child, one more than allowed in the new China. But there is a worse penalty. Bai undergoes a brusque sterilisation operation and then has to walk away from the operating table. She must then struggle back to her village over the mountains, to the house next door to the bride.

A Cicada production for BBCtv