Ilona, an orphan from the cruel Paksula family, ends up in Helsinki at a children's home for immigrants and from there becomes a foster daughter in the Orpana family, where she begins to sort out the relationship between her war-disabled stepbrother Pentti and his girlfriend Irene.

The story of poor brake man Jaakko and beautiful train conductor Mimmi, who is also admired by welder Heikki, rapper Ranssu, bricklayer Martsu, and engineer Immu. The story also involves Jenny and Aleksi, a Roma couple who run a construction site canteen.