The series is adapted from the novel of the same name by writer Xu Zechen, which won the 10th Mao Dun Literature Award in 2019. The story revolves around several boys and girls who grew up together along the canal, after leaving to make their own growth, reunite after many years. After experiencing competition and the pressures of life, they rediscover the hope for a new life. Through the perspective of these Jiangnan youths, the audience not only witnesses their growth trajectory but also feels the vicissitudes of the Grand Canal's history, from its dry period to rejuvenation over more than a century. It conveys the profound and enduring cultural heritage of the Chinese Grand Canal in the river of history.