The story begins with the protagonist, a 17-year-old high school girl, dying in a traffic accident and being reincarnated as a baby. She awakens to find herself in the arms of a gaunt, impoverished woman, her new mother, in a world that is clearly not modern Japan. The family lives in a simple house made of wood, mud, and straw, and their clothing is basic. The protagonist, named Ryo, quickly deduces that her new family is poor and struggles to produce enough milk due to her mother's malnutrition. Ryo, who was a wealthy and high-achieving individual in her past life, is shocked by her new circumstances.
As Ryo grows, she learns more about her new world. Her village is called "Garigari Village," a name that reflects the villagers' perpetual hunger. She also discovers her siblings' peculiar names, which reveal her parents' rather haphazard approach to naming children, culminating in Ryo's own name, which signifies the end of their childbearing. Ryo's parents are not adept farmers, contributing to the village's poverty. At ten years old, children are expected to contribute to labor, and Ryo's older brothers are already helping in the fields. Ryo, being a baby, feels like a burden and fears being "culled" due to the family's poverty. She resolves to become useful by learning to walk and speak quickly.
By eight months old, Ryo has achieved both milestones, though her walking is unsteady. By the time she is a year old, she can communicate effectively. She expresses a desire to join her brothers in gathering firewood and water, and her kind older brother, Maru, agrees to carry her. At the riverbank, Ryo encounters other village children and is met with curiosity. She proposes fishing and making tools, but the other children dismiss her ideas, laughing and calling her a "witch." Maru, however, mentions that a "wizard" is expected to visit the village soon, explaining that these wizards are skilled individuals who help the villagers with their problems, such as improving crops or water supply, and their services are free. Ryo, initially skeptical and believing "wizard" is a metaphor for advanced technology, sees this as an opportunity to learn about her new world. She decides to create fishing tools and a basket for wild vegetables.
Over the next ten days, Ryo, with the help of her brothers, crafts straw sandals, a fishing trap, and a straw hat. Her family is surprised by her creations, and her father requests she make more straw sandals and baskets, as they usually purchase such items from traveling merchants. Ryo returns to the river with her new creations and sets her fishing trap. She also expresses a desire to go to the mountains to gather edible plants, but Maru refuses, citing the danger of monsters. Ryo then suggests gathering edible wild plants near the river, which she learned about from her quiet older brother, Jiro. They gather various edible plants, which are then added to their meager meal of rice porridge.
The fishing trap is a success, yielding ten small fish. This impresses the other village children, who decide to learn Ryo's methods. Ryo teaches them how to make the traps and other tools, aiming to improve the village's nutrition. The villagers begin to refer to Ryo as a potential "wizard" due to her ingenuity. However, they also mention that wizards are typically nobles. Ryo learns that her village, Garigari Village, was established five years prior by people who previously worked on building a castle for wizards. They were encouraged to become farmers but received little support from the country, leading to their current impoverished state. The villagers are hopeful that the upcoming wizard will solve their crop failures.
Two years later, Ryo, now three years old, has significantly improved the village's food situation by developing better fishing methods and creating a tool similar to a "senbakoki" (a tool for threshing grain) from wood. She also discovers a legume plant that can be used to make soy milk, miso, and soy sauce. However, the staple crop, dry-field rice, continues to fail due to continuous planting without rest (crop rotation). The villagers are still waiting for the wizard to solve this problem.
Finally, two wizards arrive: Seki Naniwadz, a red-haired spirit user, and Ryuki Ujikawa, a young, elegant mage. Ryo, initially believing they represent advanced technology, is astonished when Ryuki magically causes the crops to grow instantly. She realizes this is indeed a fantasy world with actual magic. During a village feast, Ryo is questioned by the wizards about her inventions. She explains her tools and methods, impressing Ryuki, who then demonstrates his own magic by creating a fishing trap and a superior "senbakoki" with a chant. The villagers, and Ryo's parents, are convinced Ryo might be a wizard, but Seki tests her by asking if she can see something invisible on his shoulder and then something sparkling in the distance. Ryo cannot see anything, and the wizards conclude she is not a wizard.
The wizards depart, leaving Ryo feeling a sense of anticlimax and a loss of purpose, as magic seems to solve all problems. However, Ryo continues her agricultural experiments. She discovers that crop rotation and planting legumes alongside rice are crucial for successful cultivation, a fact the villagers had overlooked, relying solely on wizards. Ryo establishes a "Villager Gathering" to share her findings and educate the villagers.
A year later, Ryo, now four, has successfully implemented crop rotation and is exploring fertilizer options. While discussing these advancements, her parents introduce her to a wealthy man named Claude Rainforest. Ryo has a bad feeling, and her parents, with three silver coins on the table, reveal they are selling her. Ryo is taken away in Claude's carriage, feeling unloved once again.
