▁northern ▁K MT - control led ▁area ▁of ▁Sh a an xi , ▁Sh an bei , ▁with ▁the ▁task ▁of ▁collect ing ▁the ▁pe as ants ' ▁folk ▁songs ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁re - write ▁them ▁with ▁commun ist ▁lyr ics ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁boost ▁the ▁mor ale ▁of ▁the ▁E ighth ▁Route ▁Army ▁soldiers . ▁ ▁Y ellow ▁Earth ▁begins ▁with ▁a ▁scene ▁dep ict ing ▁a ▁commun ist ▁soldier ▁walking ▁several ▁miles . ▁He ▁reaches ▁a ▁small ▁village ▁where ▁he ▁is ▁assigned ▁to ▁live ▁with ▁a ▁poor ▁family ▁with ▁the ▁task ▁of ▁recording ▁local ▁folk ▁songs ▁for ▁use ▁in ▁the ▁army ▁later . ▁He ▁lear ns ▁the ▁hard ships ▁of ▁pe asant ▁life ▁and ▁especially ▁of ▁that ▁of ▁a ▁pe asant ▁girl ▁named ▁C ui q iao . ▁The ▁story ▁then ▁focus es ▁on ▁the ▁girl , ▁who ▁at ▁only ▁age ▁ 1 4 ▁is ▁forced ▁to ▁marry ▁a ▁significantly ▁older ▁man ▁as ▁her ▁wed ding ▁dow ry ▁was ▁used ▁to ▁pay ▁for ▁her ▁mother ' s ▁fun eral ▁and ▁brother ' s ▁eng agement . ▁The ▁Commun ist ▁soldier , ▁called ▁" Bro ther ▁Gu ", ▁attempts ▁to ▁dis su ade ▁C ui q iao ▁from ▁running ▁off ▁and ▁joining ▁the ▁C CP , ▁but ▁recogn izes ▁her ▁desp air . ▁ ▁After ▁her ▁marriage , ▁C ui q iao ▁cross es ▁the ▁Y ellow ▁River ▁at ▁night ▁but ▁it ▁is ▁unclear ▁whether ▁she ▁made ▁it ▁or ▁not . ▁The ▁story ▁then ▁fast ▁for wards ▁to ▁a ▁rain ▁dance