In the Latvian countryside at the end of the 19th century, Jānis decides it is time to find a wife—but choosing the right one proves no easy task. Pretending to have gone deaf after listening to church bells from the bell tower, he visits the surrounding farms and overhears conversations never meant for his ears. While others reveal their true characters, only Ilze, the blacksmith’s sister, shows genuine concern and wonders how the unfortunate young man might be cured.