: In order for the husband to pass the main exam and get an education, the wife sells her jewelry and deceives the professor.
Nikolai Evgrafovich Almazov, a young poor officer, studying at the Academy of the General Staff. For two years in a row he fails and, finally, in the third, he enters. He passes all exams safely. There comes the last, decisive. All this time Almazova is supported by his wife Verochka. She denies herself everything she needs, trying to create conditions for her husband to study, maintains good spirits in him.
From the last exam, Almazov comes home, frowning. He needed to present to the professor a plan of the area. Almazov drew it the night before and, from exhaustion, put an ink spot on the map. To disguise him, he painted bushes on a spot. The professor was very pedantic. He said that he knew this area better than his own bedroom, there were no bushes there, and he kicked Almazov out of the exam.
Thinking, Verochka takes all his jewelry to the pawnshop. She helps out much less than they actually cost, but this amount is enough for her. Late in the evening, Verochka comes to the gardener and persuades him to immediately plant bushes in the indicated place. The gardener is imbued with sympathy and offers to plant lilacs. Verochka monitors the workers and calms down only when they level the ground.Now it is not visible that the bushes have just been planted.
The next day, Almazov shows the professor a growing lilac bush. The astonished professor apologizes to Almazov, who is ashamed of his deception.
Since then, Verochka’s lilac has become a favorite flower.