Nonô Corrêa, extremely stingy, puts padlocks on the refrigerator and pantry cupboards to prevent his children, Elisa and Tomaz, from eating more than he considers necessary. Nonô never forgets to raise the rents on the apartments he rents, leaving the tenants desperate. The funny thing is that Nonô is very rich and hides his precious fortune from everyone. The only one who knows his secret is Anselmo. Another character who suffers from Nonô's miserliness is the maid Frosina, who has worked for him for over 20 years. At a certain point in the story, an orphan, Zezinho, crosses Nonô's path. The boy wins the heart of the neurotic man.