One snowy afternoon in the twelfth lunar month, a kind but simple-minded woodcutter named Zhuzi rescues a red fox with an arrow wound in its leg. To his astonishment, the fox speaks with a Beijing accent. When the ruthless hunter Sun Daoban comes searching for it, Zhuzi cleverly fabricates tracks and misleads him, successfully helping the fox escape. Grateful for saving its life, the fox advises Zhuzi to pass by the home of Master Wu when selling firewood in town the following day. After returning home, Zhuzi is scolded and mistreated by his sister-in-law for tearing his cotton-padded jacket. Meanwhile, Sun Daoban returns to the scene, discovers a bloodstained piece of clothing Zhuzi left hidden in a rock crevice, realizes he has been tricked, and swears revenge. A looming danger is about to unfold.