A spring drought strikes, leaving seedling trays cracked and dry and bringing spring plowing to a halt. Following damp traces along the public irrigation canal, a farming woman searches for the water source. Along with a carpenter and fellow farmers, she discovers several problems: an old stone sluice gate has diverted the water, a mountain spring outlet is blocked, the old canal is leaking, and a water-dividing board is jammed with silt. As a result, the public canal has nearly run dry. Rather than rushing to blame one another, the villagers investigate the causes and divide the work, clearing sediment, repairing the canal walls, and reopening the waterways. Some farmers had initially kept a little water for themselves out of fear for their harvests, but they come to understand the importance of sharing public water and willingly join the canal repairs.