[Gone with the Wind] Back to the beginning

Everyone looked at her in surprise and anger.

Scarlett fearlessly looked around the circle of the crowd.Seeing that Dr. Meade's goatee was trembling with anger, Aunt Pete looked like she was about to pass out and couldn't bear to let go of the excitement. Melanie was shocked, her eyes were reproachful and worried.At this moment, the aggressiveness and rebellion in Scarlett's nature are fully displayed:

"I don't understand why wars are fought! I don't understand state rights or anything. All I know is that Charlie is dead, and a lot of people are dead. I don't understand what our patriots are defending. I only know they're Not enough to eat and not warm—could the Yankees be the quartermaster in the army?" Her tone was trembling with excitement at the beginning, but then gradually became cold and hard, "I don't know how long this battle will last. , It was said that a good battle could be fought in three weeks, but it dragged on for a year. I don’t know how many people have died, and now every family is still suffering, but what are we doing? I am from the south, and so are you. And this battle is clearly That’s right, it’s the southerners who are hurting! Daye doesn’t—”

"Scarlett!"

Just when Scarlett took a deep breath and was about to utter the last words, a low but powerful voice interrupted her forcefully.The owner of the voice was reaching out to her, Rhett said in an unquestionable tone: "Come here."

come.

Suddenly Scarlett understood all he meant without needing to communicate.Maybe he loves and deliberately stimulates the rebellious side of her nature, and even likes to make trouble for her on purpose, but Rhett Butler will not let her, Scarlett, break with the Atlanta social circle in a hurry without thinking about it.He won't do it.So, he interrupted her at this moment and reached out to her.

A warm feeling flooded her instantly, and all the anger, grievances, and insecurities dissipated. Scarlett was like a child who suppressed grief and couldn't help but rush to cry when she saw a trusted adult.Trembling slightly, she tore the skirt out of the stunned Mrs. Elsing's hands, and strode towards the man who had stopped and turned around after she uttered the first syllable.

His black eyes were no longer ridiculed, but full of approval and concern. Scarlett's nose soured, but she proudly raised her emerald green eyes.Rhett stared at her, suddenly laughed, grabbed her rudely, and walked out.Scarlett stepped forward quickly, and stood beside him.The corset was so tight and her heart was beating so fast, she thought, she couldn't breathe.Scarlett was feeling proud and happy, and her fear disappeared under Rhett's smiling gaze.Already standing outside, Scarlett spoke first: "Send me back?"

Rhett made a "please" gesture and helped her into the car very gentlemanly.During this period, he has been polite and courteous, and there is no usual joke in his mouth, only the smile in his eyes can't be concealed no matter what.He climbed into the carriage after her, whipped the horse and pulled the carriage and started to run.

The red earth rose under the hooves of the horses and filled with smoke, and then slowly fell back to the ground.The autumn sun and breeze made people feel warm and comfortable, and Scarlett's heartbeat gradually calmed down.She recalled what she had just done, and her eyes widened.I was a little scared at first, but I couldn't help laughing out loud at the end.It was a hearty laugh, like that of a child who has tasted the sweetness of the red apple at last, breaking the ban, and then discovers the absurdity of his first fears.She smiled and said, "Okay, now I'm not afraid anymore."

Rhett made the horse run a little slower, couldn't help but shook his head with a smile and said, "Scarlett, you are really a brave girl—although I already discovered this when I first saw you... He smiled and made a "truce" gesture, "Don't stare at me, we are in the same camp now. You have offended those superior people, but you must remember to leave yourself a way out... "

It's not straight anymore.Scarlett was so angry that she stepped on him directly: "Mr. Rhett Butler, is this your gentlemanly demeanor? Threatening a lady who is about to be treated coldly because of you?"

"Don't say that, Scarlett," he laughed wantonly. "I'd think you were really doing it for me when you said that, clever little liar. Don't you mean what you mean?—Excellent Lady Miss, is this how you treat a gentleman who takes good care of you?"

What he said was not only referring to sending her home, but also the credit for stopping her from talking to death in time just now, leaving room for maneuver.Scarlett appreciated it in her heart, but her mouth was unforgiving, and she said with a sweet smile: "Thank you so much, Captain Butler. You are so kind to me, like my closest elder, I don't even know How can I thank you?"

After she finished speaking pretentiously, Rhett was taken aback for a moment, and then burst into a burst of laughter.The laughter startled the birds on the tree, and they hovered in the air for a long time.Scarlett couldn't hold back and laughed out loud, and the two of them stared at each other in the laughter, as if they had a tacit understanding of mutual understanding.

"Good luck." Rhett blinked as he walked her out of the car.

Not to be outdone, Scarlett said, "I also look forward to the day when Aunt Pitt treats you as a guest again." As she spoke, she raised her chin, looked at Rhett like a queen inspecting her possessions, and walked into the gate of Aunt Pitt's house with her head held high .

Rhett smiled softly and rode away.

------

"I'm extremely disturbed when I hear about your recent behavior."

Scarlett read the letter with a bitter face. People in Atlanta are really gossips, and she never thought that she would not be able to escape this encounter.

"It's hard to believe that you forgot your identity and upbringing, and publicly supported Butler's words like that! It is understandable to care about the soldiers in front, but you actually support the words of Butler! This person has bad morals, Taking advantage of your youth and ignorance, tricking you into making a fool of yourself in public and ruining your reputation...how can Miss Pitt be so irresponsible?"

Seeing this, Scarlett didn't want to read any more, she sullenly put down the letter, and ignored Aunt Pitt who was tearing up in fright.

In fact, as early as the beginning of her rebirth, after the ecstasy, she discovered that there were many places in herself that were incompatible with her mother.But at that time, because she was so happy to see her mother again, and she habitually wanted to show a gentle and chaste demeanor in front of her mother, the differences between the two were not reflected.At least until today, she was still deliberately ignoring this problem.

Scarlett used to worship her mother Ellen as the Virgin Mary.In her heart, her mother is the embodiment of justice, kindness, wisdom, beauty, kindness and many other excellent qualities. She never doubts that her mother will do wrong.Until the war destroyed everything, and she was forced to use the most obscene means to make money, at that time she thought desperately, "So what Mom said is wrong!".But at the end of her previous life, she realized that she was also wrong.At that time she had nothing but money.

If the mother had lived, would she still have been like that?Scarlett didn't know.It is conceivable that the mother would never violate the principle because of poverty, and she, Scarlett, would never want her family to starve to death because of some incomprehensible backbone.At that time, at that time——Mother believed in Daye and the South, but she, who had experienced all the hardships, knew that all of them were lies.Every part of her body was clamoring for her to speak her mind, and Scarlett could not continue to pretend.She thought wearily, there were still not many paths to choose.Is she going to lose everything she has like in her previous life?

"Absolutely not." She murmured, grabbing the letter again.She will bring Rhett back, she will keep Tara, she will keep her mother alive, and as for what to do then... there will be a way!Anyway, tomorrow will be a new day!Scarlett cheered up a little, and read on quickly:

". . . your father is about to leave for the Atlanta blockade office to inquire about cotton in advance, and is terribly shocked to hear that. He will soon be calling on Aunt Pete and taking you home, and will intercede with Captain Butler. .Scarlett, I hope you're just too young and thoughtless to offend our cause. Nobody wants to do it more than I do, and I hope my daughter does too..."

Scarlett took a deep breath, put the letter on the table, and ignored Aunt Pete's trembling questioning.She didn't feel flustered or guilty—this time, Scarlett was sure she was right, at least she would never feel guilty about what she had done, and her conviction had never been stronger than it was now.

So now, her battle is about to start.

--------------

Two days later Gerald arrived at Aunt Pitt's house on Peachtree Street.

The curly-haired old father had a sullen face the whole time.Although he was very angry at his daughter's irrelevant remarks, his etiquette as a gentleman prevented him from teaching her daughter in front of Melanie.And after a while, he was cheered up by the nonchalant Meili.For a while, the whole room was filled with his loud voice:

"Yes, the two boys of the Tarleton family are great! They have made a lot of contributions. My girl didn't tell you? That's right, Miss Meili, Mr. Kennedy is still chasing Sue Ellen. I want to ask when that guy will speak up..."

Scarlett didn't intervene in the whole process, and the stubborn expression on the face of the stubborn girl of Irish descent was exactly the same as that of her father.So when Gerald proposed to talk to his daughter alone, Scarlett had no intention of asking Melanie for help.Instead, she simply and neatly pretended to be ready to talk.Gerald was annoyed, and when Melanie left with a worried face, he poured himself a glass of wine and yelled:

"Okay, girl! You did it beautifully. You plan to find another one for yourself after your fiancé just passed away?"

Who knew that Dad would say such a sentence!Scarlett almost blurted out what was on her mind.It was almost stopped, and he said angrily: "Father, what are you talking about!"

"Am I wrong?" Gerald blew his beard and stared at her. "That rascal Butler taught you to talk like that! I can't believe it, Miss O'Hara. You'd follow a guy like that to discredit the Great South." I will definitely have to settle accounts with him tonight!"

"Where do I have it!"

What Scarlett wanted to express was that Rhett had not taught her views (although they were not much different), but her own ideas.But Gerald's understanding is that Scarlett feels that she has not slandered the great cause of the South, so she can't help being even more angry.

"Girl, do you have a conscience when you say this? So many soldiers are shedding blood and dying for our cause, but you are so good! As a young lady of the O'Hara family, you say such things with that person! Your conscience Is it not bad?"

This time Scarlett understood what her father meant.

"But Dad, it's not like you don't know what kind of life the frontline soldiers live!" She retorted, feeling sad at the same time.