Madá and Jão are ordinary people who live in the suburbs of Rio de Janeiro and don't give up easily. Madá helps with the family budget by selling clothes made by her mother and sees the path to a more prosperous future in entrepreneurship; Jão is a bus inspector and aims for a better position in the company, but is passed over for a friend of his boss's wife. At first, Madá and Jão don't get along – but their bickering hides a mutual interest. Following a tragedy in Madá's family, the winning ticket from a lottery bet placed by her father falls into the hands of her uncle Osmar, who takes possession of the prize.