As a boy, the main character spent a summer at his grandfather's farm — a summer full of wandering the countryside, befriending a puppy, and growing close to a girl his own age who lived nearby. When it ended, he promised her he would come back someday. Ten years later, after his grandfather's death, he does return. The mayor and villagers agree to let him stay as the farm's rightful heir — but only if he can restore it to its former state within three years.