The bank is located in the square of a small, idyllic market town, and its manager, Anders B. Schmidt, is seriously ill in the town hospital. At the beginning of the story, he is quietly passing away. In the wealthy neighborhood of the market town, we find the bank manager's villa, which has been his pride and joy for many years. He leaves behind a deeply grieving widow and four adult children. It soon emerges that the respected citizen had a love affair before he got married, and this causes outrage.

Tove Andersen's problem ends in Christianshavn's moat, and this is where the film begins. The body has a noose around its neck. The homicide division is called in, and it turns out that shortly before her death, she had undergone an illegal operation. An unscrupulous womanizer had abandoned the young student from the countryside when the relationship had consequences. The doctor rejects her after a beautiful lecture on the sanctity of life, and she must therefore rely on "private" help.

The 74-year-old widow, Juliane Cramer, is a very wealthy lady with an incredible appetite for life. Despite her advanced age, she rushes from one pleasure to another, from mannequin shows to boxing matches, and when her lawyer reminds her that it is time for her to write her will, she firmly rejects him. There is no urgency: "I have decided that I want to live for many more years, that's it". She is more than generous towards her nephews and nieces and their spouses. They all live in a property that belongs to her. That is why they have never paid a penny in rent. They know that, if things get tough, they can always 'borrow' a couple of hundred kroner or three from Aunt Cramer. So everything is very good - apparently...

Lilleper is starting school, and on the last day of summer vacation, his father invites the whole family to a party at Tivoli. But then everything goes wrong. Per doesn't like school. Søs falls out with Peter, Mie is accused of theft, and his father is fired from his job and talks about selling the house. Everyone is looking forward to a sad Christmas, but maybe Lilleper will still go to the "Christmas Ball in Nisseland."