Master and Man

Set in the 1870s, the story unfolds during winter festivities following St. Nicholas's Day. The protagonist, Vasili Andreevich Brekhunov, an innkeeper and church elder, juggles his duties of attending church and hosting guests. Once the celebrations conclude, he hastily prepares to visit a neighboring landowner regarding a grove he wishes to acquire, driven by the urgency of securing a profitable deal before potential competitors from town can intervene. The narrative captures themes of ambition and the complexities of social obligations.