The events of several days spent by the married couple - artist Pavel Alekseevich and his wife Nina - in a small country boarding house. For him, this is an opportunity to collect his thoughts and finally, after many years, write a new picture. The usual life of vacationers is mushroom hikes, boat trips, a costume ball, if not for Nina’s attraction for another man...
A band of young musicians is looking for fees across the steppe in an ramshackle old bus. During their tour, starving, they kill a cow but they don't know what to do with it. They will also bring happiness in an old people's home in return for food.
