One day, he is caught in the act by the female residents of nearby villages who have come to the station to meet the arriving mail train and sell their foodstuffs.

In a fit of anger, Yakov Ivanovich decides to enforce railway rules strictly, targeting violators who cross the tracks illegally.

In court, he delivers an exaggerated speech, warning that Pelageya’s act could lead to catastrophic consequences, such as derailing a train or robbing the station.

However, neither the local “legal expert,” the village priest and his wife, nor a visiting member of the Society for the Study of Rural Life offer meaningful assistance, only providing useless advice.

The local Komsomol cell eventually steps in, navigating bureaucratic hurdles to secure a review of Pelageya’s case.