一個清晨,在違建區裡有一位退伍老兵~啞叔,騎著他的三輪板車四處收購撿拾瓶子,在一個高尚住宅區意外地拾得一棄嬰~阿美,也給違建區裡帶來許多歡樂,但卻令啞叔女友離去,啞叔只好帶著阿美騎著板車到處去。阿美高中畢業就在餐廳裡當歌手,認識了青年作曲家時君邁,得到指導與鼓勵,歌藝大有進步,進而被娛樂公司的經理余看中,昔時違建區的住戶都收到拆除違建房子的通知,阿美為了籌錢給啞叔搬家,只好答應了余的巡迴演唱,余待阿美出國後就把錢送去給叔,並暗示要啞叔離開阿美 In 1958, Uncle Dumb, a retired soldier who now made a living as a scrap collector. He found an abandoned baby girl, Ah Mei. When he decided to raise her, his girlfriend decided to leave him. Luckily, his neighbours were very helpful and they lived like a big and happy family. Uncle Dumb was a bugler in the army where he became deaf, so Ah Mei was brought up to the tune Uncle Dumb Played. After finishing high school, she worked as a singer in a restaurant. Ah Mei is soon spotted by a big time talent agent, Yu Kwong Tai, who arranged a South-East Asian tour for her. After she has left on tour, Yu pays Uncle Dumb the money, hinting at Uncle Dumb to stay away from Ah Mei. This breaks Uncle Dumb's heart