Part Three: The Dog Grins: Chapters 14 - 16 Summary

Pearl: Pearl awakens to the bang, bang, bang of sounds on the commune and knows that war has broke out against the four evils of sparrows, rats, insects, and flies. The worst of these is allegedly the sparrows, which the government insists devour the most seeds and grains. Because The Great Leap Forward requires every pair of hands working nonstop, even the elderly have been ordered to work. Pearl works alongside Yong and Su-Lee - Tao's mother - stoking the blast furnace. A few weeks later, the commune leader announces a contest with the surrounding communes mandated by the government: which commune can harvest their crops the fastest? They start with the rice stalks, slashing quickly through, leaving many uncut stalks. Then they move onto the corn, tea plants, and sweet...