Based on the short story of the same name by Vasily Shukshin. The village pond. The women rinse the clothes. A cart passes, in which three men are seated; the kolkhoz saddler Antip holds a balalaika in his hand. His wife Marfa catches up with the cart and persuades her husband not to go anywhere. In their village house, the couple spend time together. Antip sews collars for horses, reproaching Marthe for not letting him study music. Martha protests, and Antip picks up the balalaika at every opportunity and begins strumming again. Martha, in anger, throws her husband's balalaika into the fire and he, in retaliation, cuts with an ax all the sewn collars prepared for sale. One day, Antip and Martha, sitting in the room, remember their youth - how girls ran after Antip in their youth, and how a guy confessed his love to Martha, and how many years later they sent their sons at war... And once again, the old men sit together. Martha asks Antip to play the balalaika, and he plays.
