1998, Nalchik. A Jewish family is in trouble: the youngest son and his bride do not come home, and in the morning, a ransom note arrives. The ransom is so high that the family is forced not only to sell its small business, but also to seek help from its fellow tribesmen.
When Nina Klementyevna, a young scientist, created her laboratory, Zoya became her loyal and devoted assistant. Many years later, having raised three children, Zoya Dmitrievna, a laboratory assistant, meets San Sanych, a kind but weak-willed and drinking man. And the relationship with Nina...