Pastor Jens Steffensen is actually a dyed-in-the-wool northerner. However, at the request of his old university friend Clemens Stölzer, he pulls up stakes in St. Pauli and takes on a small parish deep in the south. On his arrival in picturesque Fischbach, Jens initially experiences a culture shock. He also almost runs over Sophie Strohmayr's cat, thereby incurring her wrath. To make up for his mistake, he offers Sophie, who has just lost her job at the local dairy, the vacant position of housekeeper in the vicarage. Although Sophie has left the church, she accepts the offer after a moment's hesitation.
A baby is abandoned in the village church of Fischbach. While Pastor Steffensen wants to take the legal route, the bundle of joy activates all of housekeeper Sophie's granny instincts. As Steffensen also takes the little rascal to his heart, the duo set off in search of the parents. The father of little Emil, who was apparently conceived out of wedlock, is a man from Fischbach, which causes a lot of unrest in the village. The bishop is also alarmed when the "parents" become the subject of media attention.
