Yun Nian'an is a modern orphan who transmigrates into the body of a ten-year-old girl with the same name in an ancient dynasty. The original Yun Nian'an was considered an idiot by her village but was deeply loved by her extended family, who treated her as a lucky charm after she inadvertently prevented a hunting trip that ended in tragedy. The story opens with Yun Nian'an lying unconscious after being pushed into a river by Liu Zhaodi, a thirteen-year-old girl from the neighboring Liu family. Liu Zhaodi is driven by jealousy because Yun Nian'an, despite her cognitive disabilities, received all the good food and care from her family, while Liu Zhaodi and her older sister were forced into hard labor and neglect under the tyrannical rule of their grandmother, Liu Cuifang.
Yun Nian'an awakens to find herself in the body of the cannon fodder character from a novel she read in her previous life. In the original story, the protagonist Liu Zhaodi would steal a mystical space contained within a bracelet worn by Yun Nian'an, use it to survive a coming famine, and eventually rise to power with the help of a young general. However, Yun Nian'an has now taken her place. She immediately confronts the Liu family, demanding compensation for medical expenses and the return of her stolen bracelet. Through a combination of her grandmother's fierce protectiveness and Yun Nian'an's own sharp wit, she forces the Liu family to pay one tael of silver and retrieve the bracelet from Liu Zhaodi's possession.
Upon reclaiming the bracelet, Yun Nian'an discovers that the space within it is far more powerful than described in the novel. It contains vast black soil, a spiritual river, and a well of healing water, along with a collection of rare medicinal herbs. This discovery gives her the means to not only survive but thrive during the impending famine. She also learns that her engagement to Wang Yu, a boy she once blindly followed, is a source of exploitation. Wang Yu and his family have been tricking the original Yun Nian'an out of food and resources for years to support his education, while simultaneously conspiring with Liu Zhaodi.
Yun Nian'an decisively breaks off her engagement with the Wang family. She leads her entire family to the Wang residence to demand the return of all grain and money borrowed over the years, backed by written IOUs. When the Wang family refuses to pay, Yun Nian'an smashes their kitchenware and threatens to expose Wang Yu's debt to the academy authorities, which would ruin his chances of becoming a scholar. Faced with this pressure, the Wang family is forced to return three and a half taels of silver, though a balance remains. Yun Nian'an gives them seven days to pay the rest or face legal action.
The narrative shifts to the Yun family's preparations for the coming famine. The elders reveal that they plan to flee to the capital to escape the starvation that is beginning to sweep the region. Yun Nian'an, utilizing her knowledge of future events and the resources within her space, begins to plan how to sustain her family. She visits the hunter family on the mountain to thank Lin Yuan, the boy who saved her from the river, establishing a connection that may prove vital later. Meanwhile, the Liu family fractures further, with the second branch demanding a split from the matriarch Liu Cuifang due to the financial loss incurred by Liu Zhaodi's actions. The story concludes with the Yun family preparing to depart, armed with silver and Yun Nian'an's secret advantage, setting the stage for their journey into the chaotic future.
