To some extent, Penny could relate to this as she had gone through and seen things like this occur. The village she used to live in before and after her mother passed away wasn't a posh one, it did not even come to be called decent.
As Damien had pointed out, if a person fell short to work and earn in the family, the next one would have to earn, to fill in the space of the family bread earner. Her village was in a dire situation where the crops were often washed away with the loose soil due to the heavy rain of Bonelake. Their lands were one of the most unfortunate ones which had the worst soil conditions and made it difficult for crop cultivation. This, in turn, made it difficult for farmers and other people to earn a few shillings. This somewhere indirectly affected others as the crops had to be bought for a higher rate than the usual price.
