In Sardinia, at the beginning of the twentieth century, the once powerful aristocratic Decherchi family is going through difficult times and is threatened with eviction. To be able to pay his debts, Don Paulu, the son, needs help. He seeks aid from Uncle Zua, an old miser, who rejects him bluntly. Upset by Paulu's misfortunes, Annesa, the servant girl adopted by the family and Paulu's lover, decides to kill Zua so that the Decherchis inherit from him...