1913: A young woman is raped by a priest and turns away from the Church as a result of the experience. 1924: She now is the owner of an expensive brothel, and she plays a small role on both sides of the Cristero Uprising, when foreign-born clergy were deported from Mexico.
Manuel's life is upended when Esmeralda, his lost love from 15 years ago, calls unexpectedly. Despite being set to marry another, he rediscovers Esmeralda, and they realize their love transcends time.
Young teen girl Xiu Xiu is sent away to a remote corner of the Sichuan steppes for manual labor in 1975 (sending young people to there was a part of Cultural Revolution in China). A year later, she agrees to go to even more remote spot with a Tibetan saddle tramp Lao Jin to learn horse herding.