[Gone with the Wind] Back to the beginning

Everyone in Tara was very happy for Mei Li's arrival.

Despite the harsh times of the war, Southerners did not lose their tradition of hospitality.As soon as Merry arrived at Tara, Gerald urged her to stay permanently, in exactly the same way as his daughter had persuaded her earlier.He insisted on keeping Merry in Tara, and he did not hesitate to drive away her father-in-law, John Wilkes.

"The Wilkes family doesn't have a real mistress to look after them now." In front of the family, Gerald said in a loud voice, "It's better for Miss Merry to live in Talador."

Mei Li blushed, bewildered.Scarlett swallowed the last bite of sweet potato, squeezed Merry's hand lightly, and hurried to help her mother.She was secretly happy, walking briskly, thinking as she walked, it was time for everyone to find Mei Li's body, otherwise Mei Li might be taken over by Twelve Oaks.

Merry's pregnancy was discovered on a fine day in March.She felt a little chest tight that day, Scarlett could not doubt it, and quickly called her mother to see a doctor.So within a day, Melanie was semi-forced to become Tara's long-term guest.Because Ellen thought that Mei Li's body was too weak, it was better not to move when she was pregnant.What's more, the pleasant environment in the countryside is also good for Mei Li's body.

Scarlett was a little curious about how her mother told Merit that she was pregnant. In her memory, her mother never talked about pregnancy, and she didn't even mention mare calving.This point is related to the rules of southern ladies. After all, when she told the ladies to take extra care of Meili, she also used the decent expression "she is not feeling well".As for Meili herself, her face was flushed, and she couldn't hide her ecstasy and shyness.She stretched her skirt up a bit to cover her waist, which hadn't changed significantly, and faltered, extremely happy.Scarlett couldn't bear to tease her, for fear that she would faint with joy.

Merry loves children, loves all children.Scarlett, on the other hand, was only interested in teasing children who were well-behaved and not annoying.Of course, what she loves the most is her and Rhett's children—her Bonnie, and the child who failed to see the sun.Seeing Mei Li so happy now, Scarlett didn't have the disdain of her previous life, she could understand Mei Li's joy.Scarlett was really happy for her good friend.

However, the joy did not envelop Tara for long, and soon, a telegram broke Tara's tranquility.

"Major Wilkes disappeared during a reconnaissance mission three days ago. I would like to inform you. I am deeply sorry. Please wait for news."

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"You can't let Mei Li know."

That was Scarlett's first thought when she saw the telegram.

She found some excuse to take the letter from the telegraph office from the slave, and stood in the hallway distraught.Don't let Meili know, absolutely don't let her know, Meili is still pregnant, she can't stand the stimulation.Yes, don't let her know.Anyway, anyway, Ashley should be captured and imprisoned on Rock Island now, and he will come back safe and sound in the end, just like in his previous life, telling Mei Li is just to make her worry in vain.Can't tell her, can't tell her...

Scarlett hastily opened the envelope, glanced at it and confirmed that the contents inside were exactly the same as in her previous life, and she stuffed the letter back.

After receiving this letter in her previous life, Scarlett was so anxious for Ashley that she had no extra energy to care about Mei Li.Her deepest impression of this moment was that in the boundless despair, Rhett Butler heard the news: Ashley appeared on the list of prisoners on Rock Island, and he was not dead.The news cheered her up and cheered Meili a little.But now——she didn't know whether Rhett was still in Atlanta, and there was no way to find out.Telling Mei Li can only make her anxious.

Scarlett never considered what was wrong with meddling in other people's lives. She didn't have this knowledge and believed in her own opinion.She thought that if she hesitated on this matter, it would only be because she was worried that things would change, and Ashley did not come back, so she would be resented by Meili.But just like the determination she made when she left Atlanta, she, Scarlett O'Hara, will never give up things that can be changed for those erratic "possibility".She can afford the choices she makes.

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After all, the matter of the telegram was not kept secret for long.

Although Scarlett had fooled the black slave who brought the letter, and tried her best to check every day whether there was another telegram and a letter that might mention that matter, when Ellen called her to the study after dinner, she said nothing. When not sending.Scarlett knew that everything she had done had been discovered by her mother.

"I didn't do anything wrong." She thought, but the grievance and shame still made her eyes water.Scarlett stared stubbornly behind her mother's desk and at the hangings on the wall, pursed her lips tightly and refused to speak.

"Scarlett." Ellen finally spoke, her voice full of exhaustion, gentle but stern, "Can you explain to your mother why you withheld Miss Meili's letter?"

Scarlett subconsciously tensed up and clenched her fists.This is a defensive posture full of vigilance. Ellen noticed this detail and frowned unobtrusively.

"Merry can't be stimulated," replied Scarlett stiffly.

"But she has the right to know about Mr. Wilkes, that is her husband, Scarlett." Ellen repeated, looking at the face of her eldest daughter, "Scarlett, you shouldn't have done something for Miss Merry. choose."

"You haven't told her—"

"But I'll talk to her. Scarlett, have you ever wondered what Miss Merry will think when she learns of all this, if misfortune does happen to Mr. Wilkes—God bless him?"

Anxiety, sadness, even tears, that would be Meili's reaction.But behind those painful words, her heart is tied to her suffering husband.If this process is stripped away, in the future she will directly know that her husband has passed away for a long time-it will hurt Mei Li even more deeply.What's more, the front line is changing rapidly, and maybe the telegram that Mei Li sent after hearing the news will be the last time Ashley hears about his beloved wife.And what Scarlett has done is undoubtedly killing the last possible communication between the two.

No wife wants to be kept in the dark about her husband's life or death. Even if she is as weak as a dove, she has incredible strength inside.Scarlett once felt her own strength while she was alive, and Meili's tenderness and strength also supported her to move forward.But—but Meili's body—emotions are difficult to control rationally, thinking of Meili's last life because of a miscarriage and Scarlett's death, she shudders, no, absolutely not like this!Merry would break out of grief!

"If she wants to blame, she can blame me." Scarlett's throat was dry, "It's all my fault. As long as she gives birth to the baby safely, don't worry about it all day... Ashley will definitely come back, things will turn around, Mom, She convinced herself, and she also thought that she could convince Ellen. Scarlett's expression became excited, and she even had a hint of pleading. She forgot how suspicious her words about the birth of a child were, "Mom, wait a few days and tell Merry again." Okay? Maybe it was a false alarm, maybe..."

"But maybe, Mr. Wilkes is lying in a cold place." Ellen said, she looked at her eldest daughter with pity and love in her eyes, and her voice was gentle and unquestionable, "Scarlett, neither of us Know what's going to happen tomorrow."

But I know it!I know!

Such a voice was clamoring in Scarlett's mind, and she couldn't express the burning hot words in her chest. The green-eyed girl stood in front of her mother, clearly faltering, but her expression was paranoid and sure.

"—Besides, Scarlett," said the mother, "Even if it's a false alarm, Miss Merry has the right to go through it with Mr. Wilkes. God bless them."

No, mother, the merciful God never showed himself.It let death take you, take Mei Li.Mom, I only believe in myself, I can't let you get hurt...

Just when she was about to refute again, and once again used her naive and paranoid understanding to promise something she couldn't bear, Ellen's words were like a breeze, blowing through Scarlett's hot heart:

"Love is a gift from God to people, and Mei Li has been especially favored by God in this regard. Even if the worst happened, and Mr. Wilkes' sad news was not revealed to her until after the birth of the child, she would not Hate you, Scarlett."

"Miss Meili is full of love and trust for you, and I know that you did this out of love for her. But Scarlett, have you ever thought that Meili will never suffer consequences because of your concealment of letters Hate you? On the contrary, she will suffer so much and bury all the pain in her heart like an ascetic. Because her beloved sister deprived her of the chance to experience the fate together with her lover. She left the world a tender body , treat you as before, and treat everyone better, except for herself..."

— just like Ellen herself.The 15-year-old girl lost her beloved cousin, desperately left the family that forced the cousin away, and married Gerald.Broken in love, she gave her heart completely to the merciful God.Ellen knew the pain, and she didn't want Mei Li to suffer it too.

Scarlett didn't speak, she was stunned by her mother's description - which Merry might have been, if her "prophet" had even the slightest accident.Do you really want to do that?Scarlett hesitated too.

"Have some faith in Merry, will you?" Ellen whispered softly. "Merry is a wonderful woman and love will hold her up. We have to trust her. Neither would you, Scarlett." Willing to be kept secret, right?"

won't you?Scarlett opened her eyes wide in fear, searching for something in her memory—she, she would rather know that Rhett went to the battlefield again, and worry about him every day.Or are you willing to think that he has gone overseas, and it is not until a few years later that he catches the understatement "Rhett Butler died in the army that year" in other people's conversations?No, he won't die.In an instant, strong emotions surged in her heart, and Scarlett blinked away the sourness in her eyes: "Mom, I understand."

Ellen was also a little bit embarrassed. She had just recovered from the past that she didn't want to recall.She stood up, the hem of her skirt rustled, and the beauty's cherry fragrance bag exuded a faint fragrance. She hugged her daughter who seemed to have grown up a lot in just one year, and gently stroked her hair:

"Don't worry, my daughter. I'll talk to Meili myself and take her time."

Fate is like a torrent that cannot be stopped, but surprisingly, Scarlett is not depressed this time.Instead, she seemed to have gained new strength. Her mother's piety could not infect her, but a warm current grew in her dry heart scarred by war, poverty, fraud, and love, which represented a warm current that could heal herself. .Even though Scarlett was far from comprehending the truly beautiful things in the old south, and her lost morality still failed to recover, Scarlett vaguely touched the path she should take in this life.She closed her eyes in her mother's arms.

"Tomorrow, try to write to Rhett tomorrow. Everything will be all right!"