Fall. In the spacious hut of a wealthy, painful peasant Peter - the wife of Anisya, Akulin, his daughter from his first marriage, sing songs. The owner himself once again calls and scolds, threatening to calculate Nikita, a dapper guy of twenty-five years old, an employee who is lazy and walking. Anisya stands up for him with fury, and Anyutka, their ten-year-old daughter, runs into the room with a story about the arrival of Matryona and Akim, the parents of Nikita. Hearing about the upcoming marriage of Nikitina, Anisya “was enraged [...] exactly a circular sheep” and attacked Peter even more viciously, planning to upset the wedding by any means. Akulina knows the secret intentions of her stepmother. Nikita reveals to Anissier the desire of his father to force him to marry his orphaned girl Marinka. Anisya warns: if that ... "I will decide my life! I sinned, destroyed the law, let’s not toss and turn to become. ” As Peter dies, he promises to take Nikita into the house of the master and at once cover all sins.
Matrena finds them embracing, sympathizes with Anisina’s life with the old man, promises to prevent Akim, and finally, secretly conspiring, leaves her sleepy powders, a drink to wash her husband - “there’s no spirit, but great strength ...”. Arguing with Peter at Akim, Matrena defames the girl Marina, an artisan cook, whom Nikita deceived, living first on a cast iron. Nikita lazily unlocks himself in public, albeit "scared of unrighteousness to swear." To the joy of Matryna, the son is left in the workers for another year.
From Annie, Nikita learns about the arrival of Marina, about her suspicions and jealousy. Akulina hears from the closet, Nikita drove Marina: "You offended her [...] so you will offend me [...] you dog."
Six months pass. The dying Peter calls Anisyu, orders to send Akulin for his sister. Anisya hesitates, searches for money and cannot find. As if by chance to visit his son comes Matrena with the news of Marinka’s wedding with widower Semyon Matveyevich. Matrona and Anisya talk face to face about the effects of the powders, but Matrona warns to keep everything secret from Nikita - "very sorry." Anisya is a coward. At this moment, holding on to the wall, Peter crawls out onto the porch and asks once again to send Anyutka for his sister Martha. Matrena sends Anisya immediately to rummage around all the places to find money, and she sits down on the porch with Peter. Nikita drives up to the gate. The owner asks him about plowing, says goodbye, and Matryona leads him into the hut. Anisya rushes about, praying for help to Nikita. Money is found right on Petra - Matrona felt for it, hurries Anisya to put a samovar before her sister’s arrival, and she instructs Nikita first of all “not to lose money,” and then “a woman will be in her arms”. “If [...] snoring starts [...] it can be shortened.” And here Anisya runs out of the hut, pale, beside herself, carrying money under an apron: “He died. I was shooting, he didn’t even smell it. ” Matrena, taking advantage of her confusion, immediately transfers money to Nikita, ahead of the arrival of Martha and Akulina. They begin to wash the dead man.
Another nine months pass. Winter. Anisya nenaryadnaya sits at the camp, weaves, waits for Nikita with Akulina from the city and, together with the worker Mitrich, Anyuta and the godfather looking at the light, discuss Akulinin's outfits, shamelessness (“the girl was tousled, unhappy, and now she was embarrassed, swelled like a bubble on water, I, the mistress says "), an evil temper, unsuccessful attempts to marry her and fuse her faster, the unconsciousness and drunkenness of Nikita. “They entwined me, shod so dexterously [...] I didn’t notice anything foolishly [...] and they had an agreement,” Anisya groans.
The door opens. Akim enters to ask Nikita for money for a new horse. At dinner, Anisya complains about Nikita’s “pampering” and ugliness, asks to be advised. To which the Akim answers one thing: “... God has been forgotten” and talks about the good life of Marinka.
Nikita drunk, with a bag, a knot and with purchases in paper, stops on the doorstep and begins to swagger, not noticing his father. Next comes the discharged Akulina. At the request of Akim, Nikita takes out the money and calls everyone to drink tea, ordering Anisye to put a samovar. Anisya with the pipe and countertop returns from the closet and brushes off the half-sleeper bought by Akulina. A quarrel flares up. Nikita pushes Anisya, saying to Akulina: “I am the master [...] I stopped loving her, I loved you. My power. And her arrest. ” Having fun, he returns Anisya, takes out a cordial, refreshments. Everyone gathers at the table, only the Akim, seeing a bad life, refuses money, food and an overnight stay, and, leaving, prophesies: “to perdition, then my son, to perdition ...”
Autumn evening in the hut can be heard talking and drunken cries. The Akulinins of the matchmaker are leaving. Neighbors gossip about the dowry. The bride herself lies in the barn, with her stomach closed. “With an eye,” Matrena persuades the matchmakers, “and so,” you will not pinch a girl like a cast one. ” After Anisya’s seeing off guests, Anyutka runs into the courtyard: Akulina left for the barn, “I said that I won’t get married, I said that I would die.” A squeak of a newborn is heard. Matryna and Anisya are in a hurry to hide, pushing Nikita into the cellar to dig a hole - "Mother Earth will not tell anyone how a cow will lick its tongue." Nikita snaps at Anissier: “... she was disgusted with me [...] And then these powders [...] Yes, if I knew, I would kill her, bitch, then!” Lingers, perseverance ?: “After all, what a thing! A living soul, too ... "- and yet surrenders, takes a baby wrapped in rags, tormented. Anisya grabs the child from his hands, throws it into the cellar and pushes Nikita down: "Suffocate as soon as possible, there will be no life!" Soon Nikita crawls out of the cellar, shakes all, with a scraper rushes at her mother and Anisya, then stops, runs back, listens, starts rushing about: “What did they do to me? [...] Squeaked like [...] How crunches beneath me. And everything is alive, right, alive [...] I decided my life ... "
Guests stroll at the Akulinino wedding. In the yard, songs and bells are heard. Along the path past the barn, where drunk Mitrich fell asleep in a straw with a rope in his hands, there are two girls: “Akulina [...] did not howl ...” The girls are catching up with Marina and, in anticipation of her husband, Semen sees Nikita who left the wedding: “... And most of all I feel sick, Marinushka, that I am alone and with no one to open my grief with me ... ”Semyon interrupts the conversation and takes his wife to the guests. Left alone, Nikita takes off her boots and picks up a rope, makes a loop out of it, puts it on her neck, but notices Matryona, and behind her smart, beautiful, tipsy Anisya. In the end, as if agreeing to persuasion, gets up, strips himself of straw, sending them forward. Having escorted his mother and wife, he sits down again, takes off his shoes. And suddenly Mitrich's drunken booby-dance: “I’m not afraid of anyone [...] I’m not afraid of people ...” as if gives Nikita strength and determination.
In a hut full of people, Akulin and his bridegroom await the blessing of the “watchman”. Among the guests are Marina, her husband and the officer. When Anisya delivers the wine, the songs fall silent. Nikita comes in, barefoot, taking Akim with him, and, instead of taking the icon, falls to his knees and repents, to Akim’s delight, “God's work is going on ...” - in all sins - in the guilt of Marina, in the forcible death of Peter, seducing Akulina and killing her baby: “I poisoned the father, I destroyed, the dog, and the daughter [...] I did, I alone!” He bows to his father: "... you told me:" Claw is bogged down, and there is an abyss to the whole bird. " Akim hugs him. The wedding was upset. The officer calls the witnesses to interrogate everyone and knit Nikita.