Anya, a kind industrious girl, lives with her mother Irina in the small village. All her life Irina works hard to ensure a better future for her daughter, but the family is barely making ends meet. Once a son of the head of the village administration - spoiled and self-willed Gleb comes to attend a local holiday. All the girls are crazy about him, but he looks only at Anya, whom he never noticed before - But Anya's romantic dreams suddenly go to the background when the family gets into trouble. Irina, defending herself from the harassment of a bandit, accidentally kills him.