Zhou Qing discovers that the village's three old irrigation ditches have fallen into disrepair and takes the initiative to clear them to protect the farmland. However, his maternal uncle, Zhao Guangtian, and his cousin, Zhao Lei, misunderstand him, accusing him of blocking their path to wealth. The villagers blindly fill in the ditches and build melon-growing greenhouses. After a torrential rain, the greenhouses are flooded, causing devastating losses, yet they turn around and blame Zhou Qing. Faced with their accusations, Zhou Qing produces signed acknowledgments and a map showing the ditches' routes to reveal the truth. In the end, the villagers realize that the old ditches are not a burden from the past, but a lifeline protecting their crops. Zhou Qing leads everyone in clearing the ditches again and establishing rules, helping Qinghe Village rise again from the lessons it has learned.