Jie (Yu Kunjie), an 11-year-old boy, has lived with his great-uncle (Sun Xinfu), who owns a highway inn, since he was a child. In order to complete his school assignment of making a pair of "sea" themed clip art, Jie longs for a copy of the "Ocean Encyclopedia" book. His cousin (Felicia Li) originally agreed to buy the book for his brother, but when his great-uncle is killed in a car accident and the real culprit refuses to pay for the damages, the whole family is thrown into trouble. Unwilling to add to his family's worries, Jie is determined to get the book through his own efforts. As he travels between towns and villages, wandering on the edge of reality and fantasy, the secrets of the young man and the sea emerge. ....