Little Matti, who has been living in the countryside with his grandmother, leaves for Helsinki to search for his missing mother, Kerttu. In the city, he is helped by Taneli, a homeless alcoholic artist, and Salme, a girl who lives with her alcoholic aunt.
Anna-Lisa, the daughter of the Sandkulla estate, hires a man she believes to be a vagrant, Mr. Hirninen, as an extra guest for her engagement party. In reality, he is the son of Jussi, the sawmill owner, who falls in love with Anna-Lisa at the party. However, misunderstandings and the manor's financial problems make it difficult for the couple to be together.
