After her aunts death, young Miriam gets a position with the Allnes family. They have a son, Hans. Miriam and Hans fall in love. But the Hans mother is jealous and disapprove.
Marjatta lives in poor conditions in Tampere with her widowed father Arttu who works as a factory worker. Marjatta gets to know engineering student Pauli whose constantly worsening mental health problems and jealousy become a threat to Marjatta and her close circle.
Professor Visaoksa's spoiled city kids are sent to the countryside to live with their strict general uncle and learn some manners. The general's buddy, who tells the kids war stories and is nicknamed Sergeant Mynkhausen, finally gets the kids under control.
