The foreman Ignatius Andreevich and his wife Akulina Timofeevna are going to marry their son Ivanushka to Sofya, the daughter of adviser Artamon Vlaich. The family of the foreman is visiting the adviser in his village. Future relatives are talking about the upcoming wedding. Ivanushka has already managed to visit Paris; he puts in French words all the time. Father doesn't like it. He advises Ivanushka to “keep to work” and read “article and charter of the military”. Housekeeping Akulina Timofeevna considers consumable notebooks to be the best reading. The adviser recommends that the future son-in-law familiarize himself with the code and the decrees. And counselor Avdotya Potapievna, Sophia's stepmother, prefers “amiable novels” to any other reading. Ivanushka completely agree with her.

Sophia is not happy about the upcoming marriage: she considers her fool a fool. Her stepmother, on the contrary, is delighted with Ivanushka and his “Parisian” manners.

The general conversation of future relatives is not glued. The foreman is only interested in military matters, his wife only thinks about the household, the adviser is only concerned with legal issues, and Ivanushka and the adviser find all these topics vile. The conversation was interrupted by the arrival of Dobrolyubov. Counselor, Sophia and the foreman and his wife go to meet him.

Counselor and Ivanushka are alone. They quickly find mutual understanding: a young man scolds his parents, and an adviser - his husband. Ivanushka admits that she does not want to marry Sophia. Fortune-telling on the cards, Ivan and Avdotya Potapievna declare to each other in love. The counselor reveals to the young man that Sophia has long loved Dobrolyubov and is loved by him.

When Sophia and Dobrolyubov appear, Ivanushka and her adviser immediately leave, leaving the lovers in private. Sophia realizes the feelings of her fiance and stepmother. She also notes that her father gently looks at the foreman, and the foreman looks at the adviser. Only Sofia and Dobrolyubov love each other with love, "based on good intentions." An obstacle to their marriage is the poverty of Dobrolyubov. But he hopes that with the end of the trial his wealth will increase.

Sophia asks her father not to marry her to Ivanushka. But the adviser does not want to listen: Ivanushka has “pretty villages”, he explains. Artamon Vlasyich advises his daughter to please her mother-in-law and read it. The true reason for the stubbornness of the adviser is the love of the foreman. Having married her daughter to Ivanushka, Artamon Vlasyich will be able to often see Akulina Timofeevna by kinship.

A pious counselor is ashamed of his sinful love, but still, at the sight of the foreman, he cannot help telling her about his feelings. True, the simple-minded team leader does not understand anything, because the adviser inserts Church Slavonic expressions into his speech. When Artamon Vlasyich kneels before Akulina Timofeevna, Ivanushka unexpectedly enters. At the sight of this scene, he laughs and applauds. A dumbfounded adviser comes out. The son explains to the perplexed team leader that the adviser with her "amures."

The foreman is furious. She promises to tell her husband everything. But the adviser who appeared explains to Ivanushka that this secret should not be disclosed: if the foreman finds out something, he will immediately take his wife and son home. Ivan and Avdotya Potapyevna convinced the angry team leader that Ivanushka was just joking, and the adviser wasn’t amorous at all. Akulina Timofeevna, having believed, calms down.

Ivanushka and the counselor gladly note that they are people of “one mind, one taste, one more temper.” Only one drawback has an adviser in the eyes of Ivan: she is Russian. The young man hopes to make up for this "misfortune" by taking his beloved to Paris. Avdotya Potapievna tells Ivan that the foreman is “mortally in love” with her. Ivanushka is getting excited: he is ready to challenge his father to a duel. The foreman appears. He wants to drive his son out of the room and talk to the adviser himself. But Avdotya Potapievna comes out with Ivanushka.

The foreman scolds Ivanushka for "tomfoolery" and an addiction to everything French. He disrespectfully answers. Ignatius Andreevich threatens to beat his son, but the counselor who appears appears to protect Ivan from his father’s anger. She persuades the young man to tell about his stay in France. The son says that he "has already become more French than Russian." The counselor and team leader are delighted with this story, but the team leader is annoyed. Ivan leaves with annoyance at his father, his mother follows him. And the team leader begins to express his love for the counselor. But since he uses military terms, the adviser pretends that he does not understand him.

Dobrolyubov tells the adviser that his lawsuit is over and now he has two thousand souls. The judges turned out to be bribe takers, so Dobrolyubov had to turn directly to “supreme justice”, and justice finally triumphed. Dobrolyubov asks Sophia's hands. The counselor is glad of this, but her husband doubts: he does not say either yes or no.

Dobrolyubov and Sophia hope that the adviser's greed for money will prompt him to agree to their marriage. Lovers stop talking at the sight of a crying foreman: Akulina Timofeevna was again scolded by her husband. Ignatius Timofeevich generally has a sharp temper and is heavy on hand: once jokingly pushed his wife so that she almost gave her soul to God.

Ivanushka, counselor, Sophia and Dobrolyubov are starting a quadrille card game. The team leader does not know this fashionable game and is forced to just watch. Advisor and team leader play chess.

The team leader recalls the village game of pigs. Telling the adviser about this fun, she takes the cards away from the players. Ivanushka is annoyed, and the team leader takes the opportunity to choose a wife. The offended team leader leaves.

Artamon Vlasyich reproaches the foreman for the mistreatment of his wife. Then Ignaty Andreevich, in turn, hints that the counselor is not indifferent to Ivanushka. But the adviser does not believe this. The team leader is also sure that "there is no such fool in the world" who would have thought to drag around Akulina Timofeevna.

The team leader persuades his son to marry. But Ivan's parental example is not inspiring. In addition, he does not like the bride. Akulina Timofeevna explains that choosing a bride is not a matter of the groom, but of the parents. She herself, for example, had never spoken with Ignaty Andreyevich before the wedding.

Counselor and Ivanushka talk about their love and danger from the counselor and team leader. Ivanushka tells her lover about her education. Before traveling to Paris, he, it turns out, was brought up by a French coachman - it was Ivan who owed him love to France.

Advisor and foreman catch Ivan on his knees in front of Avdotya Potapievna. They hear the words of lovers. The secret is revealed. Ignatius Andreyevich is going to beat his son, and the adviser is to recover money from Ivan for dishonor. The brigade leader, Sophia and Dobrolyubov, who entered immediately find out what happened. Sophia refuses to marry Ivan. The adviser and team leader agree with this.

Then Ivan and the counselor reveal all the secrets they know. Ivanushka tells how the adviser knelt before the foreman. And Avdotya Potapyevna - about how the foreman "declared his love to her."

The foreman and adviser part in great anger. Ignatius Andreyevich takes away his family: “What are we doing, that is, down from the yard!” The counselor and Ivan touchingly say goodbye - the counselor and team leader barely manage to separate them.

The adviser remains with his wife and daughter. Dobrolyubov again asks Sophia's hands. Artamon Vlasyich, Avdotya Potapievna and Sophia herself express their consent.