The action takes place during the days of the anniversary celebrations on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Soviet writer Fyodor Abramov in the village of Verkola, Arkhangelsk Region, where he was born and raised. The protagonist of the film, a countryman of the writer, decides to read the cycle of stories "There were-there weren't" and recalls consonant stories that he heard from his fellow villagers. In conclusion, all the characters answer the main question: “How should this life be lived?”