Young peasant Yuras, a talented woodcarver, loves the potter's daughter Nastya. The girl reciprocates with Yuras. However, her mother does not want to give her daughter to a poor man and prefers to him the swaggering and stupid schoolboy Samokhvalsky, who has long been seeking Nastya's hand. Nestyorka comes to the aid of young lovers. Having disguised himself in the mantle of a scientist, he opposes Samokhvalsky at a dispute arranged by Pan Baranovsky ...