Mr and Mrs Zhang live with their grown son Guisheng who works at a factory. One day and old friend of Mr Zhang comes to visit the family after having spent years travelling in the mysterious hills of China's Yunnan Province. He tells the Zhang family of a monkey's paw that has magical powers to grant three wishes to the holder. Against his better judgement, he reluctantly gives the monkey paw to the Zhang family, along with a warning that the wishes come with a great price for trying to change one's fate.