Lao Lin, a construction site foreman, is publicly humiliated by Zhao Pangzi, the owner of Zhao's Fast Food, for asking for an extra ladle of meat broth for his apprentice. Zhao insults migrant workers, calling them "poor beggars," and tries to pass off sour, spoiled food as a meal. Furious, Lao Lin leads sixty fellow workers in a collective boycott. They would rather squat by the roadside and chew on plain steamed buns than bow their heads. By chance, he discovers an honest boxed-meal business tucked away in a quiet alley, run by A Fen and her husband, an unemployed couple. For just 13 yuan, they offer generous portions of fresh pork belly and even throw in free chilled mung bean soup.