When learned scholar Ching Ko-Ou encounters the lovely Lan-fang crying in her garden, he tries to apply his vast wisdom to diagnose the cause of her sadness. But his advice only leads to more tears until he decides there is but one solution - take Lan-fang's hand in marriage himself. Yet even marital bliss cannot quell Lan-fang's mysterious sorrows in this ironic tale of love, longing, and the limitations of even the greatest wisdom.