: A carpenter buys a microscope for money intended for the needs of the family, and begins to study the world of microbes. Upon learning that the device was purchased at the expense of the family budget, the wife of a carpenter hands him over to the commission.

Andrei Erin, a carpenter in a small workshop, decided. Arriving home, he tells his wife Zoe that he lost money - one hundred and twenty rubles, for which it was planned to purchase jackets for children. Having received such unpleasant news, the wife grabs the frying pan and begins to fight and curse with her husband. He stubbornly reflects blows pillow. The skirmish ends when a woman hits the spouse on the head with a frying pan. The missive says that the money needs to be worked out, even if he, Andrei, has to work in two shifts and go to work on foot. The husband says that he has already met the master for one and a half shifts, but he is getting out of this situation, saying that as soon as he noticed the loss of money, he returned to the workshop.

For a week his wife is angry with Erin, he himself is angry, but does not dare to call names. When the wife finally calms down, he decides - it's time!

One late night, he brings a microscope home, announcing that he was given him for shock work. Andrei and his son immediately begin to examine the germs, but Zoya cannot see them.

The life of Andrei Erin is changing - the carpenter now regularly looks through a microscope at microbes. He discovers that they are everywhere, and even inside Andrey himself, in blood. Yerin is determined to fight them. It is not possible to chop microbes on a thin wire, and the carpenter decides to fight them with the help of electric current. The “fighter against microbes” plans are hindered by a guest - Sergey Kulikov, who works with Yerin. Sergei asks a colleague to show him microbes, which he is denied. Kulikov says flattering words: “a monument of gold we cast”, “we will glorify the whole world”.

Zoya is pleased to hear that her husband is spoken of as a scientist. Out of habit she begins to grumble: “they couldn’t award something else — some kind of vacuum cleaner.” Sergei Kulikov does not understand what the woman is talking about. It turns out that no bonus at work was issued. The wife understands that the microscope was not presented "for shock work", but was bought by Andrei for the "lost" one hundred and twenty rubles. Andrey takes Sergey out of the hut and sleeps at his house. Having returned to his house in the morning, Erin learns that his wife took the microscope to the commission room, tells her son to never drink, and goes to sleep.