why wasn't there a harvest one year? where did the eldest son want to live ?

One time, the eldest son wished to go to the South to learn more. And after learning that he goeswith Lotus, he beats the boy and sent him to the South. Wang Lung decided to let Liu's daughter marry his 2ndson. While O-lan was ill and the doctor said that she will die soon. O-lan had a wishbefore she died, that she wants to see her son get married so Wang Lung called for his son in theSouth to come back and the ceremony was held and after the cermemony, she died. There was a fammine one year, also