Action one

On the street, at the bus stop, waiting for transport stands Tanya, a girl of 19 years reading posters. A last-year student Nikolai Kolesov, a young man of 24 years old, is persistently trying to get to know her. Soon he explains that he promised to come to a friend’s wedding with a beautiful girl. Tanya is intrigued, but still refuses to keep Kolya company.

In the hostel, meanwhile, preparations are underway for a gala dinner, most of the guests are already at the table. Everyone is expecting Kolya with his mysterious companion. The bride and groom - Vasya Bukin and Masha. Komsomol strives to deliver a speech, but the first word is intercepted by a friend of Vasya Borya, nicknamed Gomyr. He is very drunk and says pretty unpleasant things. The participants endure his remarks because of Vasya. Meanwhile, one of the guests, Grisha Frolov, announces that he has been fond of Masha for five years, but wishes her happiness with Vasya. Gomyra makes even sharper remarks, so Masha begins to insist that he leave the celebration. Bukin resolutely intervenes for a friend, after which Masha announces the wedding failed and leaves the company. Bukin hurries after his girlfriend.

After some time, the rector of the university, Vladimir Alekseevich Repnikov, appears among the audience. At first, the gap between the failed newlyweds is hidden from him, but the rector guesses everything. Suddenly Kolesov appears. Not noticing the rector, he turns off the light and demands to remove the sound from the tape recorder, because the police are chasing him.

Finally, amidst the general turmoil, the Komsomol succeeds in turning on the light. The policeman notices Kolya in the window, who grabbed the rector with a fright and enters the hostel. The policeman explains to everyone that Kolesov broke into the actress Goloshubova’s room, begging her to go to the wedding with him. The actress was amused by this, and she agreed, but Kolya had a falling out with the artist Shafransky, whom he hit. A policeman takes Kolesov away. At this time, Bukin returns. An angry rector requires him and all the other students to come to him the next morning. Enters Tanya, who asks Kolesov. The rector will recognize her (further development of events will show that Tanya is Repnikov’s daughter).

The next day, Kolesov, in the company of a certain Zolotuev, a 58-year-old man, was sentenced to punishment for community service: they two, under the supervision of a policeman, will have to dismantle the fence of the old cemetery. When a policeman leaves for cigarettes, Zolotuev confesses to Kolesov his misconduct. This elderly man, who seemed funny, just dug an orchid on the lawn.

Nikolai is caught at work by Masha and Tanya, who were told by the police how to search for Kolesov. From Masha Kolesov learns about his expulsion from the university. Then it turns out that Tanya is the daughter of the rector. She had a falling out with her father over a strict decision that seemed unfair to her. The girl intends to figure it out herself.

During lunch, in the apartment of the Repnikovs, there is a major quarrel between father and daughter. Passion is aggravated by the visit of Kolesov, who, behaving very strangely and out of temperament out of habit, asks to be allowed to take exams. Repnikov expels the young man. In response to this, Tanya, furious, leaves to "aerate". Repnikov is left alone with his wife. She is dissatisfied with his behavior, but she does not read it openly, but reproaches with hints that the rector cannot understand or does not want. The wife complains that her husband has become a typical administrator, although he requires others to consider him a scientist.

Action two

Kolesov works in the Zolotuev garden, Tanya comes there. Kolya is ready to confess love to the girl, but hesitates. Bukin and Frolov appear, who came to find out how Kolesov is doing. Parting Bukin with Masha reconciled the rivals, but Vasya begins to guess about Grisha’s plans to meet with his ex-bride. When Kolesov leaves to conduct Tanya, Vitya and Grisha decide to shoot and take Zolotuev's gun for this purpose.

Kolesov returns to the empty garden for a short while. Soon there appears the owner - Zolotuev. In a conversation with a student, a flower lover shows his true face. He turns out to be a notorious grabber, an extremely greedy person. From his story about himself and about a fictional friend, one can understand that he spent 10 years in a camp on Indigirka for a bribe to the auditor with full confidence that he had served unfairly - he gave little, that's all. Since then, Zolotuev has been obsessed with meeting the inspector and giving him 20 thousand rubles to “whitewash” his name.

A shot is heard, and from the depths of the garden Frolov and Bukin appear. Vasya just killed the magpie. Students are embarrassed for themselves, they are in a hurry to leave the garden. Instead, the rector Repnikov comes to the garden, who offers Kolya a deal. Kolesov must abandon Tanya, stop dating her, push her away from him - and then he will be reinstated in the university, admitted to exams. Kolya remains in thought.

In the evening, he seems to have made a decision. When Tanya reappears, Kolya persecutes her, claiming that their relationship is an easy flirtation and therefore will not lead to anything serious. Perplexed, the girl dutifully leaves.

After passing the exam and receiving a diploma, Kolesov, avoiding other students, notes a "joyful event" in the university cafeteria. Here he is found by "uncle" Zolotuev, who shares his grief: the auditor did not even take 20 thousand. Along the way, the "uncle" inquires how much the "nephew" paid for the exam, to which he received a non-exhaustive answer "a lot."

When Zolotuev temporarily disappears, Masha and Frolov approach Kolya. The girl is trying to convince herself in the presence of Kolesov that she is ready to fall in love with the “positive” Frolov. Kolya is bored to look at this game, and he goes to the fun geologists. Then, for the first time in five years, Masha finds the strength to firmly and unequivocally tell Grisha that they will not succeed. Young leave.

In the empty dining room, the Repnikova spouses appear. Repnikova starts a conversation about the fate of her daughter and Tanya’s love for Kolya. It turns out that Repnikov impedes Kolesov’s admission to graduate school, although all professors advocate this. After a little argument, the couple leaves.

The dining room is filled with young people - geology students and others. Here Bukin and Masha, they agree on a divorce. Then Masha, not without the help of Bori-Gomyra, reconciles with Vasya, asks to take her on an expedition. Tanya appears, who wants to congratulate Kolesov before leaving for the breeding station. Following the girl comes Repnikov. He escorts his daughter and secretly from everyone offers Kolya a new deal: Tanya needs to be pushed more resolutely - in exchange for this, studies in graduate school are offered.

He cannot stand the wheels: he finds Tanya and tells about everything to her. The girl is struck by the betrayal of a loved one. Depressed by grief, she leaves. Suddenly Zolotuev reappears, who saw something and understood something. He calls Kolya to work in his country house, promising that he will write to the “nephew” both the country house and the car.

Kolya briefly gives thought to brilliant prospects: the wealth of Zolotuev, on the one hand, plus graduate school under the auspices of the rector himself, on the other. But the young man makes the final decision. He is in front of the rector and fellow students tearing up an unfair diploma.

Kolya manages to catch Tanya at the same stop where they once met. He tries to start a conversation with her in order to gain understanding. Tanya does not want to communicate with Kolesov. Three steps away from him, the girl is waiting for the bus.