This Sunday Ryabov returns home unusually late, in the second hour of the night. The wife is sleeping peacefully, because he is not one of those husbands whose morality is cared for. However, he is both an exemplary son and a wonderful worker. The economist who defended his candidacy at twenty-seven with brilliance is a very rare case, comrades!

But mom, who went into the kitchen, today does not recognize her model, always so restrained, ironic son. He doesn't even drink his traditional kefir. In general, he somehow changed after his two-day trip to an excursion to Adjara.

Five days until Saturday. And on Saturday morning Ryabov will be in Zhabrov - that is where the girl he met on the tour and just broke up works after distribution. Gill. Eighty kilometers from Svetopol, the regional center where our hero lives and works.

In the morning, exercise with dumbbells, then a peaceful breakfast with his wife Larisa. "Eggs in a pouch." - “Minaev called.” - "This is the right person, can make a cooperative apartment." - “The apartment?”

While they live with Stanislav's parents, the prudent Larisa does not want to hear about the child. Larisa is such a beautiful woman! Men stare at the street! Before the lectures there is still time to go to Aunt Tamara, mother’s sister. It was to her that Ryabov arranged a girl from Zhabrov for the night (she was late for the last bus). But the aunt does not say a word about her night guest. Demonstrates to her nephew that she is not curious. But he is willingly discussing the upcoming birthday of Andrei, Stanislav’s sibling.

Brother is a destroyer. A geek in a family whose motto is creation. It is this word that is written on the family banner, which has been held in their hands by their mother, director of the confectionery factory for three decades now. But his brother does not care about the Pharisee's sense of duty, his motto is “I want to.” By thirty, Andrew was going to become an artist. Constantly rants about what talent is. Is talent really an indulgence from all sins, a certificate of existence empty and loose? In this case, Stanislav does not claim to be like his mother, however.

Tomorrow Andrei is just thirty. The younger brother will not gloatly remind him of the not achieved fame (and Andrei would not fail - he constantly denounces Stanislav for dryness, rationality, and emotional underdevelopment). Andrei is a loser, makes some hack-work, advertising posters, but the younger brother’s luck despises, suspecting her for almost a lie and secret villainies. Celebration will take place at Aunt Tamara, because Andrei lost his home after the divorce. Neither father nor mother will come to her son's birthday. They do not communicate with him due to the fact that, according to his mother, Andrei acted irresponsibly, leaving his family and leaving a child.

In Ryabov’s department, the news is that after the illness the boss, Margarita Horatievna Shtakayan, came out. It’s no secret to anyone, including Shtakayan, that Ryabov will become her successor. Actually, the director of the institute Panyushkin tells him about this. Makes a compliment on the health of a subordinate. After all, Margarita Horatsievna, in fact, is always sick and the department is actually headed by Ryabov. The management appreciates the modesty of Stanislav Maksimovich and his noble attitude towards his teacher. The management understands that it is not easy for Professor Shtakayan to part with the team. But business should not suffer. If the planned work of the department is not delivered on time ("If you, Stanislav Maksimovich, hold it until May - do you want to manage the department?"), The conversation with Margarita Horatievna will be the most important.

“The work will be handed over on April 1,” the restrained Ryabov answers exactly. Most likely, Ryabov now does not see the department head as his ears. Four days later - a trip to Zhabrovo. In the meantime, lunch with Minaev, who can help with the apartment. Ryabov really wants to tie bows. Freak in a male brotherhood, he would rather have a daughter.

Minaev’s greasy lips suck chicken bone with gusto. He argues that the foundation must be laid from a young age, then it will be too late, they will be crushed. Personally, with him, Minaev, everything is in order with the foundation. He is a rather big boss, he has a high-ranking father-in-law.

“By the way,” Minaev asks, eating the sturgeon, “maybe you have a business for me?” “Nothing. I just wanted to talk about the past. ” Ryabov's eyes are clean and innocent.

At Andrei’s birthday, Aunt Tamara is crushingly elegant, the table was served without any bourgeois stuff. A friend of his brother, the artist Tarygin, passionately discusses Renoir. Among the creative intelligentsia that reigns supreme here (say, the aunt is just a theater cashier, but devoted to the theater completely), perhaps only Ryabov, a rude utilitarian, represents an earthly profession. Noisy success has a gift from her aunt, the Toulouse-Lautrec album. Have fun yet at least two hours ...

Near the birthday man is torturing another beloved woman, Vera: “Why is everything always complicated with me?”

His spirit captures from the contradictions and the boundlessness of his own soul. But everything is simple with Stanislav. Perform all their rituals - sigh, suffer, bow before Toulouse-Lautrec - why? Shove into the unknown Zhabrovo, into a hole eighty kilometers away, just to prove to himself that his heart is prone to ecstasy ... No, he will not go. Let Andrei have these joys. But sentimentality is alien to Stanislav, he came to this world to work, and not to sigh. He is like a mother, although he does not reach her. But, God, how small her hands are, how dangerous, how unhealthy the blue veins tread on them ...