Before he got married and settled down, Aksionov was something of an alcoholic. His drinking would often get him into trouble, as it would cause him to engage in riotous behavior. But that was then, and this is now. Since getting married, this handsome young man has gained a reputation as a respectable businessman. He has established himself as a wealthy, successful merchant with two shops as well as a house of his own. He now hardly drinks at all, which may or may not be related to his extraordinary success in life.

Ironically, Aksionov's patronage of an inn will get him into trouble in a rather different and much more serious way. For it is while staying at an inn that the merchant acquaintance with whom he has been lodging is brutally murdered. Aksionov is entirely innocent of this heinous crime, but he is subsequently convicted and sent to a remote labor camp in the depths of Siberia.