The hero of this lyrical and optimistic story, former front-line soldier Shodi Makhmadaliev, has worked as a shepherd for many years. He loves his work. Yet life, surprisingly, is not easy even here in the степь. And when things grow especially heavy on the old soldier’s heart, he turns to the memories of his wartime years and holds on to hope—for something better, something worthy of the memory of his friends who never returned from the front…