First action
Gostiny Dvor in old St. Petersburg. Before the shops crowds of people. Merchants and their clerks scurry back and forth, inviting rich ladies and their discharged daughters into the shops. And those eyes run wide at the sight of fashionable colorful goods, laid out on the shelves. One of the merchants seduces customers by the fact that he has the best “atlases and rosewoods”, while others offer “ribbons, agrarian and French taffeta”. Noise, screams, fuss.
The wealthy merchant Skvalygin, the owner of the largest shop in Gostiny Dvor, holds small merchants in his hands. They are his "debt, like silk." He demands the return of the debt from the merchants Razzhivin and Protorguev, and when they ask for a delay, he takes the goods from them and sells them exorbitantly to others. Such is Skvalygin - the storm of the whole Gostiny Dvor. In his shop are two merchants: Shepetkova and Krepyshkina. With the help of the groom of his daughter Khavronya - Kryuchkodey - Skvalygin forged their signatures on bills and received a large sum from merchants. Now the merchants came to claim their money back. Together with them, a witness - officer Pryamikov.
Skvaligin manages to escort women who threaten to reveal all the tricks of a fraudster. The merchant, however, is not afraid: he has his own hand everywhere.
Skvalygin's wife, Solomonides, comes to the shop. She is kind and hospitable, but a bitter drunkard. Solomonida complains to her husband that the barrel of wine has dried up and all its contents have leaked. In fact, she drank the wine with her hangers-on. The husband promises to deal with Solomonida at home so that "the wine comes out of her juice."
With a scream and noise, the clerk Kryuchkodey, a participant in all the tricks and tricks of his future father-in-law, rushes into the shop. A poor peasant weaves behind him. Kryuchkodey did one of his usual “jokes” with him. He pretended to be drunk, rushed under his cart, began to demand from the peasant to pay for the injury, and, in the end, lured the poor man all his cash. Skvalygin is extremely pleased with his future son-in-law - he knows how to rob the poor and take bribes from the rich. The agile Kryuchkodey, of course, will not take offense and will help Skvalygin to inflate and bypass all creditors.
It is evening. Shops are closing. Skvalygin invites all merchants to come to him at his daughter's hen party.
Second action
Bachelorette party in the house of Skvalygin. Dressed festive, in a blue damask sundress, sits a fat, like a huge pig Havronya. Mother, friends are bustling around her. Mother advises her daughter how to behave with the groom, girls sing wedding songs. The groom rushes into the room with a company of drinking buddies. Skvalygin orders his wife to be not very generous and not to over-indulge the guests with refreshments: “They will drink well, but they will not drink even better,” he says.
Suddenly, two merchants come across, deceived by Skvalygin. With them is Officer Pryamikov. Here Skvalygin does not skimp - he generously treats his creditors, asks Pryamikov to postpone the settlement and invites him and the merchants to come to Khavronya’s wedding tomorrow.
Third action
At the merchant’s house, everything is ready for the wedding. Skvalygin’s nephew, Khvalimov, is an honest, approximate moral young man. He buys several of his friends' bills from his uncle. Skvalygin does not miss a chance and deceives his nephew. When Kryuchkodey appears, they dream together of how to deceive all the hospitality merchants, fake bills and heal happily.
But the dreams of crooks are not destined to come true. Officer Pryamikov appears. He brought with him all those who suffered from the wicked Skvalygin. All these people surround the merchant and demand that he return the money or goods.
The victims convicted Skvalygin and Kryuchkodey of all their crimes. The secretary and the clerk lead the scammers to jail.
Teatralnaya Square 1