A satirical comedy about a country bumpkin who goes to the big city, and ends up teaching the cynical city folk a few lessons about basic human decency. The hero leaves home for the first time to go to Shanghai, to collect his lottery prize - a brand new apartment. However, when he arrives, he is told by the developers that his apartment block will take a year and a half to complete. He decides to find a job in Shanghai and wait for his apartment to materialise...

青年张宝根（姜武 饰）为了领取一套中奖得来的房子，离开家乡小镇来到上海，上海虽大，但宝根能投奔的只有自己的小阿姨金芳（陶虹 饰）。金芳为人斤斤计较，在收取了宝根租房款后勉强收留了他，但仍不时讥讽宝根的憨厚土气。宝根在街上偶遇流浪歌手阿亮（伍佰 饰），热情的邀请他回到家里，但很快因为金芳的一张快嘴，阿亮又一次踏上了旅途。逐渐心灰意懒的宝根决意离开，但最终因为阿亮的劝告而留下。不久，宝根在人头攒动的交易所发现了商机，开始每日向股民们提供快餐，生意竟然出乎意料的红火，有了收入的宝根找到了留下的理由，而他和金芳之间，也渐渐加深了互相的了解……在快速旋转的大城市中，也许宝根真能实现自己的希望。