那是一个战火纷飞的年代，桐柏山区一户穷苦人家为生计卖掉了亲生女儿小花，之后又收养了一个转移红军留下的女婴，他们给这个女婴取名也叫小花。十几年后，小花（陈冲 饰）的哥哥赵永平（唐国强 饰）为了躲避抓丁投奔了革命队伍，在一次战斗中负伤掉队，幸被女游击队长何翠姑（刘晓庆 饰）所救，而何翠姑正是当年被父母卖掉的另一个小花。此时，赵小花在进入桐柏山区的解放军中打听哥哥下落时巧遇亲生母亲周医生（白莉 饰），母女相逢却互不相识，后来周医生同情这个可怜的小姑娘，于是收她作干女儿。就这样，十几年前失散的亲人在战火中又一次重逢，他们为实现共同的理想又聚到一起，谱写了一曲壮烈的英雄之歌。

This movie is adapted from the novel Heroes in Tongbai. Xiao Hua, a sister of Zhao Yongsheng, is deserted by her poor family. He Xiangdong, a woodworker, adopts her and rename her He Cuigu. To steer clear of arrest by the enemy, Dong Hongguo, offspring of a revolutionary family, is renamed Xiao Hua so as to be adopted by her adopter. Later, Zhao Yongsheng's parents are killed by the enemy, he joins the Liberation Army. In 1947, when Zhao Yongsheng returns to his own village Tongbai, his sister Xiao Hua happens to find her brother. Doctor Zhou who works in the hospital of the army, adopts Xiao Hua without knowing she is her own daughter. He Cuigu has become a well-known guerrilla hero after she grows up. She doesn't recognize her brother Zhao Yongsheng when she carries him on the stretcher. After the war, Zhao Yongsheng, Xiao Hua and Cuigu meet each other happily; Dong Xiangkun and Doctor Zhou also feel happy to reunite with their own daughter after 17 years of departure.