The year is 1917, and under Japanese occupation, Taiwan is ravaged by drought and famine. Residents of the Chianan Plain live in squalor, their days defined by the relentless task of hauling water home. When Yoichi Hatta, a Japanese civil engineer, arrives with a bold plan to overhaul the region’s irrigation, locals immediately dismiss him as a liar. Xu Yingzhe, the son of a poor farmer, challenges the outright rejection of Hatta’s scheme and seeks to understand its potential. Though Hatta’s proposal may seem radical, it could be the key to improving the harsh lives of the Taiwanese people.