The film is based on the 1925 short story of the same title by Na Do-hyang and revolves around the story of a deaf farm hand who is in love with a landlord's daughter-in-law.
An outdated fireclay factory is due to close, but its long-time employees can't imagine stopping what has fed them all their lives and what they do best.
Once upon a time there lived in the same village two men bearing the very same name. One of them chanced to possess four horses, the other had only one horse, so, by way of distinguishing them from each other, the proprietor of four horses was called "Great Claus," and he who owned but one horse was known as "Little Claus".