the film is set in a chuvash village during the early 1950s. antonina guseva lives with her husband gennadiy, a disabled war veteran, and two young sons, vanya and kolya. narration (voice-over) is on behalf of kolya. antonina is the best combine operator of the district, and she is awarded with a transferable red banner (instead of the calico piece she desired). mice spoil the banner, and antonina has to not only continuously repair it, but also to win again in the socialist emulation, so that the banner remains with her and the authorities do not notice the consequences of "diversionist activities" by the mice. gennadiy becomes a drunkard and passes away.