The poor farmers of Muju in Cheonbuk Province cannot get enough water to irrigate their rice. They attempt many times to build a canal to the Geum River, but fail each time. After the military coup of 1962 however, the government gives its full support and helps the villagers succeed
With her father crippled with arthritis, an extremely elderly mother, and five siblings to care for, Hwang Suk takes a job as a fisherman in order to help her family survive.