读书笔记 The Good Earth. Cp.11-Cp.14

I read the Cp.11–14 of book “The Good Earth” written by Pearl.S. Buck.

1) (A) Cp.11.

Wang Lang bought from a vendor four small loaves of bread and a bowl of soft rice for the girl.  There were men and women in the fire wagon who had been south in other years,“ First you must buy six mats,” said one，“ Then you bind these together into a hut and then you go out to beg. Each morning you may go to a public kitchen and for a penny hold as much as you can in your belly of the white rice gruel. Then you can beg comfortably.” Wang Lung disliked the notion of begging. “ Is there no work for a man’s hand?” he asked.  “Work!” said the man, “You can pull a rich man in a yellow ricksha.”

When the fire wagon had turned them out upon the ground, Wang Lung set the old man and the children against a wall, and he went off to buy the mats. When he returned, they stood there waiting, the old man murmured at Wang Lung, “You see how fat these southerners all are. The eat pork every day.”  But none who passed looked at Wang Lung, each gave him a scornful and haughty look.

There were already other huts clinging to the wall behind them. Wang Lung observed the huts and he began to shape his own, suddenly O-lan said. “ That I can do.” When it was finished they went within and were sheltered.

Then the general feeling of plenty in the rich land, where no one seemed even hungered. Along the street many people walked carrying bowl to the kitchens for the poor. Wang Lung and his family mingled with those others. and when he was swept to the great cauldron he held out his bowl.

Then when they had come to the street again and stood eating their rice. A man stood near who was some guard of the place. Wang Lung said, “Why should any give this to poor and who is it that gives?”  The man answered, “ It is the rich and the gentry of the town who do it, some do it for a good deed for the future, and some do it for righteousness.” The children tugged at Wang Lung, and Wang Lung led them all back to the hut they had made, it was the first time since summer they had been filled with food.

The next morning it is necessary that there be more money. Wang Lung looked at O-Lan, O-Lan answered, “ I and the children can beg and the old man also.”

As for Wang Lung, he went into the street and found a place where jinrickshas were for hire, and hired one for the day for price of half a round of silver. An old man, spectacled and garbed as teacher, hailed him. When reached the old teacher drew out a small silver coin and gave it to Wang Lung. He had one more passenger during the morning and in the afternoon two more called him. But at night, he had only a penny above the rent of the ricksha, and he went back to his hut in great bitterness. When he entered there he found that O-lan had for her day’s begging received less than five pence. But the old man had received nothing, said: “ I have ploughed and thus filled my rice bowl, and begotten a son and son’s son.”

(B) Cp. 12

Now Wang Lung began to feel what this city was. He learned that in the morning the people he drew, if they were women, went to the market, and if they were men,they went to schools or to the houses of business . And at night he knew that he drew men to big tea houses and to places of pleasure.

He lived in the rich city as alien.  Once when Wang Lung heard a young man haranguing a crowd said that China must have a revolution and must rise against the hated foreigners, feeling that he was the foreigner.And when on another day he heard another young man speaking that the people of China must unite, it did not occur to Wang Lung that anyone was speaking to him.      One day, a creature the like of whom he had never seen before, motioned to him sharply to lower the shafts and he did so. He began to run. and he called to another puller, “ What is this I pull?” And the man shouted, “A foreigner- a female from America.” When he reached, this female left him with two silver pieces in his palm, which was double the usual fare. Then Wang Lung knew that this was indeed a foreigner and more foreign yet than he in the city.

Here in the city there was food everywhere. Yes, one would say that in the city there could be none who starved. This life in the shadow of the great wall was not the life Wang Lung loved. There was his land waiting for him.   One night he came late and there was in the stew of cabbage a good round piece of pork. Wang Lung’s eyes widened. Then the young boy said, “I took it— this meat. When the butcher looked the other way, I seized it.” Wang Lung was angry and afraid in his heart because his sons were growing into thieves here in this city. He said to himself, “We must get back to the land.”

(C) Cp.13

Spring seethed in the village of huts, now could go to dig the small green weeds,dandelions. A swarm of ragged women and children searched the countrysides for the food. But men must work on.   When the twilight lingered they gather out of their huts and talked together. Wang Lung stood diffidently and listened to the talk.  They talked always of money. Every day the talk ended with this: “ If I had the gold....”. Wang Lung heard only of how much they would eat, Wang Lung cried out, “If I had gold, I would buy land with it.”

There was the paper that men gave out here and there, and sometimes even to Wang Lung. He had never in his youth learned the meaning of letters.  The first time it was given by a foreigner, a picture of a man who hung upon a crosspiece of wood.  The next time one handed a paper freely to Wang Lung it was a man of the city. Who talked loudly as he distributed sheets.This paper bore also a picture of blood and death. Upon the dead figure a fat one stood  with a knife . “The dead man is yourselves,” proclaimed the man, “and the murderous one who stabs you are the rich and the capitalists. You are poor because the rich seize everything.”    Wang Lung had blamed it only a heaven because that would not rain in its season. Wang Lung asked: “ Sir, is there any way the rich can make it rain?” The young man replied, “No one can make it rain. But if the rich would share with us what they have, we would all have money and food.”  Wang Lung turned away unsatisfied. Yes, but there was the land, if there is not sun and rain in proportion, there is again hunger. But the men in the huts who heard eagerly. the more eagerly because they knew that over the wall there dwelt a rich man. They thought day after day on all theses matters.

Wang Lung saw one day when he pulled his ricksha, a man , seized as he stood by a small band of armed soldiers, and another was seized. Wang Lung thrust his ricksha into a side alley and he darted into the door of a hot water shop until the soldiers passed. And then he asked the keeper of the shop, who was old, the old man answered, “These soldiers are going to battle somewhere and they need carriers for their bedding.” Wang Lung darted out and seizing his ricksha he run to the hut.  Then to O-Lan, he said, “Now am I truly tempted to sell the little slave and go north to the land.” But she said, “Wait a few days. There is strange talk about.”

Nevertheless, he went out no more in the daylight and he waited until the night came, he went to the houses of merchandise he pulled all night the great wagonloads of boxes. What battles there were Wang Long did not know.

But the city became filled with unrest of fear.  All during the days carriages drawn by horses pulled rich men and their possessions.  His son cried, “we have seen such boxes and when I asked what was in them one said,  ‘ There is gold and silver in them, but the rich cannot take all away, and some day it will all be ours.’” O-lan said in her flat plain voice, “we shall see a thing. There is talk everywhere now.”

The city was shaken with fear and each man did quickly what he had to do and went into his house and shut the door.  The market places  were now empty. It was whispered everywhere that the enemy approached. The public kitchens closed their doors and there was no food.

(D) Cp.14

Spring seethed in the village of huts, now could go to dig the small green weeds,dandelions. A swarm of ragged women and children searched the countrysides for the food. But men must work on.   When the twilight lingered they gather out of their huts and talked together. Wang Lung stood diffidently and listened to the talk.  They talked always of money. Every day the talk ended with this: “ If I had the gold....”. Wang Lung heard only of how much they would eat, Wang Lung cried out, “If I had gold, I would buy land with it.”

There was the paper that men gave out here and there, and sometimes even to Wang Lung. He had never in his youth learned the meaning of letters.  The first time it was given by a foreigner, a picture of a man who hung upon a crosspiece of wood.  The next time one handed a paper freely to Wang Lung it was a man of the city. Who talked loudly as he distributed sheets.This paper bore also a picture of blood and death. Upon the dead figure a fat one stood  with a knife . “The dead man is yourselves,” proclaimed the man, “and the murderous one who stabs you are the rich and the capitalists. You are poor because the rich seize everything.”    Wang Lung had blamed it only a heaven because that would not rain in its season. Wang Lung asked: “ Sir, is there any way the rich can make it rain?” The young man replied, “No one can make it rain. But if the rich would share with us what they have, we would all have money and food.”  Wang Lung turned away unsatisfied. Yes, but there was the land, if there is not sun and rain in proportion, there is again hunger. But the men in the huts who heard eagerly. the more eagerly because they knew that over the wall there dwelt a rich man. They thought day after day on all theses matters.

Wang Lung saw one day when he pulled his ricksha, a man , seized as he stood by a small band of armed soldiers, and another was seized. Wang Lung thrust his ricksha into a side alley and he darted into the door of a hot water shop until the soldiers passed. And then he asked the keeper of the shop, who was old, the old man answered, “These soldiers are going to battle somewhere and they need carriers for their bedding.” Wang Lung darted out and seizing his ricksha he run to the hut.  Then to O-Lan, he said, “Now am I truly tempted to sell the little slave and go north to the land.” But she said, “Wait a few days. There is strange talk about.”

Nevertheless, he went out no more in the daylight and he waited until the night came, he went to the houses of merchandise he pulled all night the great wagonloads of boxes. What battles there were Wang Long did not know.

But the city became filled with unrest of fear.  All during the days carriages drawn by horses pulled rich men and their possessions.  His son cried, “we have seen such boxes and when I asked what was in them one said,  ‘ There is gold and silver in them, but the rich cannot take all away, and some day it will all be ours.’” O-lan said in her flat plain voice, “we shall see a thing. There is talk everywhere now.”

The city was shaken with fear and each man did quickly what he had to do and went into his house and shut the door.  The market places  were now empty. It was whispered everywhere that the enemy approached. The public kitchens closed their doors and there was no food.

Then suddenly there came a noise like the cracking of heaven, O-Lan said, “ The enemy has broken in the gate of the city.” And there was a shout over the city. Then they heard the sound of a great door creaking upon its hinges, and suddenly the man who had talked to Wang Lung cried out, “ The hour has come— the gates of the rich man are open to us!” And O-LAN was gone.

Then Wang Lung went out. And the great gates were ajar and the people pressed forward. Others hurrying from the back caught Wang Long and forced him into the crowd. Through court after court he was swept, into the very inner courts, and of those men and women who had lived in the house he saw no one.   Well this crowd knew the courts of the rich.  And upon these treasures the crowd fell. Only Wang Lung in the confusion took nothing. He had never taken what belonged to another.

He pushed with perseverance toward the edge and found himself on the fringe of the multitude. He was at the back of the innermost court where the ladies of the rich dwell, and the back gate was ajar. Through this gate doubtless they had all escaped. But one man had failed to escape, Wang Lung came upon suddenly in an empty inner room  from whence the mob had swept in and out again, so that the man, who had been hidden in a secret place and not been found, now crept out, thinking he was alone, to escape. When he saw Wang Lung he cried out, “Save a life— do not kill me. I have money for you—much money—”. It was this word “money” which suddenly brought to Wang Lung’s mind a piercing clarity. Money! Aye, he needed that!   He cried out, “Gave me the money then!”  And the man brought forth his hands dripping with gold and Wang Lung received it. Wang Lung cried out with the loathing surging up in him, “ Out of my sight, lest I kill you!” And the man ran past him and was gone.  Then Wang Lung thrust the gold into his bosom and went out of the open gate to his hut.  And to himself he said, “We go back to the land— tomorrow!”

2) I think: China has long been a feudal country, mainly engaged in agricultural production. Farmers rely on the weather for their livelihood. In years of disaster, they have nothing to eat. The government cared nothing about the hardships of the people, and warlords were engaged in separatism and chaos. The experiences of Wang Lung and the people around him demonstrated all this.

The main issue that people consider in terms of ideological understanding is how to survive and live better. Wang Lung was thinking of buying more land and improving his life through labor. Some people consider how to rob the rich of their wealth to improve their lives.

China should develop industry and education, and should have scientific and technological innovation. China should establish a truly democratic country. Government departments should be elected by the people and serve the people. Only in this way can the Chinese people live a happy life.

But at present, most Chinese people only think about improving their own lives or are content with having some improvements. They don't care about politics, have no sense of ownership, and fail to consider that China should build a truly democratic country.