辛亥革(gé )命前后,农民(✒)杨大(dà )可一家居住在(🔼)广东香山县广兴围里。长子杨六(liù )斤与(yǔ )大地(dì )(🥈)主容举人的丫头阿香完婚,又值丰收(⏬)之(zhī )年,杨家(jiā )呈(♑)现(📼)出(chū )一派(🖲)兴旺之象(xiàng )(🔸)。二子九斤与私塾老师(shī )(🙍)孙(sūn )(💆)学斋之女洁贞相(xiàng )爱,无奈(📞)斋嫌其身份低(🍮)微(wēi ),将贞许(🖍)配给容寡(🕕)妇之子容昌,但(dàn )不(🚢)久昌即为革(🔩)命党(🌚)人(📯)处(chù )决…… 革命成(chéng )功,村里(🥎)的(de )(🥔)人为(wéi )(🗞)前(qián )辫子(zǐ )的事而惶(huáng )恐。不久广东大(🙀)旱(🙉),村民为(wéi )抢水源(yuán )与邻(lín )村(👃)发(fā )生械斗。因赈款被(👺)扣,九斤率众(zhòng )(🕐)抢(🐀)夺(duó )容家存粮,官兵赶来(lái ),九斤不(💹)敌(💔),只好(hǎo )逃往(wǎng )澳(💍)门。后天降豪雨,泛滥成(🐨)灾(zāi )(👪),杨家跟(gēn )随逃往(🚶)澳门(mén )(📟),临行前(🔈)将女儿阿(🎥)满卖至容(róng )(📧)家为婢……澳(ào )门难民遍(biàn )地,杨家无力维生,九斤为救全(quán )家,告别妻子洁贞,毅然卖身(shēn )远(🏓)赴美国充当劳工……