Farmer Ihalainen must go borrow matches from his neighbor. On the way he meets his friend Vatanen, who wants to marry the neighbor's daughter. Ihalainen promises to speak for him, and when the marriage is agreed, both men go to town to prepare the wedding. On the way they celebrate a bit, and arriving drunk at the town they end up in jail. Having broken havoc all around, they are released with the help of an old friend, widow Makkonen. To Vatanen, the widow now seems like a better option for marriage, and things get even more complicated when the villagers hear rumors of the men's death, and start reorganizing their lives.