XIMEI is a young peasant woman from rural China who contracted AIDS during the government-sanctioned Black Blood economy. The government encouraged poor villagers to sell their blood under unsanitary conditions infecting them with HIV. This sparked a full-blown epidemic, followed by a cover-up. Local officials try to terrorize Ximei into silence and close down her halfway house. She fights for victims to overcome discrimination and receive medication. Her courageous actions and fiery character transform the tragedy of Henan’s HIV-infected outcasts into lives of hope and dignity.