Haoyou was always curious to know what his father, Gao Pei, does for a living so one day Haoyou accompanies his father out to sea. Gao Pei has a dispute with his first mate, Di Chou which eventually resulted in Gao Pei being forced to be the wind tester. Gao Pei was sent into the sky tied to a kite. It is a dangerous task and the wind was particularly high on that day and Gao Pei did not survive it.
Killing Gao Pei was Di Chou's plan all along because he wanted to marry Haoyou's mother, Qing'an. Di Chou goes on to burn down Haoyou's house, forcing his mother, Qing'an, his aunt, Mo and Haoyou to move in with their Great Uncle Bo, the head of their family. Di Chou approaches Great Uncle Bo and asks for Qing'an's hand in marriage which Bo allows because it is propitious to him. Uncle Bo orders Qing'an to marry Di Chou.
However, Haoyou and his cousin, Mipeng devise a plan to stop the marriage, they decide to get Di Chou drunk and send him off on a boat that will not return for months. Just as they were ready to send Di Chou on the boat the captain tells Haoyou that he doesn't have someone to test the wind and so Haoyou must do it to get Di Chou on the boat. Haoyou agrees and manages to survive it. Di Chou leaves on the boat still drunk.
The next day a well dressed man comes to Great Uncle Bo's house, he says that he would like Haoyou to come work for him at the Jade Circus. The man had seen Haoyou in the sky, testing the wind the previous day. Uncle Bo initially refuses and is enraged by Haoyou's behavior but when the man says that he will pay for Haoyou to join him, Uncle Bo happily accepts and sends him with the man who is actually the Great Miao. However, Haoyou says that he must take Mipeng with him for spiritual support and the Great Miao eventually agrees and takes both Haoyou and Mipeng with him.
Working at the Jade Circus, Haoyou becomes quite well-known. He even rides the kite for the great Kublai Khan once. Continuous kite riding however makes Haoyou blind in one eye. All the money that Haoyou earned he gave to Great Uncle Bo to take care of his mother and aunt but Uncle Bo gambles it all away.
When Haoyou goes back home to visit his mother and aunt he finds that Qing'an and Mo have been forced by Great Uncle Bo to work in a seedy gambling and drinking salon. Haoyou frees his mother and aunt from their deplorable living conditions and they live together in Great Uncle Bo's house.
Years pass and one day Mipeng and Miao who are now married visit Haoyou at Great Uncle Bo's house. They try to convince him to continue kite riding, when Bo hears this he asks for more money but Haoyou staunchly refuses. Enraged, Bo chokes Mipeng until Haoyou agrees.
The same night Haoyou, Mipeng, Qing'an and Auntie Mo leave to the Jade Circus, leaving Great Uncle Bo behind. They never came back.
