The young peasant Siko, in order to earn some money, makes a contract with the owner of an American circus and goes to America as a horse rider. His wife, children, mother, and old grandfather remain at home. After her husband leaves, Pati is in a great ordeal: first her child dies, then her neighbor Bessia is stalking her taking advantage of her husband’s absence. Pati's mother-in-law, Salikhe, who is building a house with the money sent by her son, often uses Besia's help and fascilitates his advances toward Pati. Finally Bessia succeeds and when Siko returns from America, he finds his wife pregnant. The abused, humiliated woman drowns herself. Salikhe greets her son in a new house and promises he will find a better wife. But Siko can not stand the shame of the family. Desperate, he burns down the house and dies himself.