Chapter 11 Summary

Chapter 11 Summary:

On the train, Wang Lung tries to learn what life will be like in the south. Some men teach him how to beg, but Wang Lung is distraught at the prospect of begging and hopes that he will be able to find work. When they reach their destination, Wang Lung's family purchases mats to build a hut and goes to the public kitchens to buy cheap rice gruel. They are forbidden to carry any of the food home out of concern that the wealthy are using it to feed their pigs. O-lan and the two boys are forced to earn money by begging. Wang Lung finds a job pulling a rickshaw, and, with effort, he is able to earn enough money to feed his family. Over time, he learns how to haggle for a good price. At first the family is discouraged. Even though Wang Lung works and the others beg, they can do no more than earn enough money to eat. They feel like foreigners in their own country until they see the Westerners living in the city, who are more foreign than they are.