What was the point of the story? *spoilers*
A boy, infatuated with a hot woman spies on her and learns that she is ostracized by the town's jealous, hateful women because of her sex appeal. While her husband is away at war, she becomes a prostitute as a way round being starved by the resentful women who supply the town's limited food. Eventually she is publicly beaten for sleeping with their husbands, and, upon her own husband's return, the boy writes a letter explaining to him that she wanted to stay faithful, thus protecting her honor. He eventually helps her directly by picking up some dropped oranges. The end.
The boy explained in the letter that he lacked courage, his main realisation, but I don't find this at all compelling. And what was the point in all the scenes with his family? They seemed utterly superfluous.