For Wang Lung and his family ,what are the challenges they face when obtaining food ?

When winter breaks, the family must brace itself for hard times because of the drought. We get a glimpse into O-lan's past life when she says that they can eat the corn husks instead of using them for fuel. According to her: "It is better than grass" (70). Worst of all, however, O-lan is once again pregnant. She convinces Wang Lung that they must eat the ox, even slaughtering the beast when Wang Lung proves unwilling to do so himself.