[Gone with the Wind] Back to the beginning

The carriage moved forward.

Scarlett looked up and down the road.She can't remember many things here clearly, and seeing them now, she only feels that they are very strange.Fortunately, because of the war, Atlanta changed a lot, and Uncle Peter didn't feel suspicious at all.He pointed with a whip and introduced Scarlett one by one, feeling very dissatisfied with his knowledge:

"That's the arsenal, yes, keeping the guns and all. No, ma'am, that's not a store, it's the blockade office. Why, ma'am, don't you even know the blockade office? That's gringo territory. They Buy our Confederate cotton, ship it from Charleston and Wilmington, and bring us gunpowder."

Blockade office?

Scarlett managed to pick out this term from her long memory, but she just heard the word "cotton" from Uncle Peter's mouth, and her spirits lifted immediately.

The blockade office, where the cotton is sold!

Scarlett could never forget the catastrophe that Tara experienced in her previous life. A soaring fire destroyed Tara's three-year backlog of cotton.Although she didn't witness it with her own eyes, every time she heard about it, she would bleed from heartache, you hateful Yankees!How much is that cotton worth!Even if you can't sell it during the war, it's good to use it to make clothes for your family!Hateful Yankees!

Scarlett was thrilled at the sudden thought that she could somehow persuade Gerald to come to Atlanta and sell the cotton sooner.

"The war's been going on for four years," she thought, "and we've been hoarding cotton for three years—that's about the beginning of this year, yes, and I'm going to get Papa to come here and sell the cotton!"

The thought made her so excited that she almost jumped out of the car and ran back to Tara to tell Dad.Today's Scarlett spares no effort in any measure to recover the loss of her previous life.It was hard for her to control herself, but doubts suddenly came to her mind: Why didn't her father sell the cotton in her previous life?

After thinking about it for a while, she found nothing. She just felt a pain in her head, so Scarlett didn't bother to think about it.

"Forget it, anyway, I will persuade him this time."

And Uncle Peter still explained to her: "...they are British, and they came to produce munitions for us. Miss Scarlett, please return a gift. Mrs. Merriwether and Mrs. Elsing are greeting you."

Scarlett came to her senses and hurriedly returned the salute, still a little dizzy.After all, she hasn't received the courtesy of these two wives for a long time.

"This is not the time when we betrayed our relatives in the previous life." She thought, and was sincerely happy about it.

Mrs. Merriwether was tall and strong, with a corset so tight that her bosom turned up like the prow of a boat, and her silver-gray hair was fringed with brown false bangs, curly and pompous, and would not go with the silver-gray, A round, flushed face, mildly shrewd and accustomed to giving orders.Mrs. Elsing was younger, thinner, and a beauty then, and she still had a sort of refined arrogance.These two and the other Mrs. Whiting are the three pillars of Atlanta, respectively in charge of the three churches to which they belong, including pastors, choirs and members.The three wives are suspicious and disgusted with each other, no less than the first three rulers of ancient Rome.The close alliance of the three presumably stems from the same reason.

"I told Pete, you have to go to my hospital," Mrs. Merriwether greeted with a smile, "Don't promise anyone else!"

Scarlett was so flattered that she agreed without turning a corner, and immediately regretted it.She has no interest in being a caregiver.But Scarlett soon had a new idea. "Anyway, everyone will criticize her for not being a caregiver. If I agree, she has a reason to refuse others."

Then this green-eyed beauty really refused the warm invitations of dozens of wives along the way with "I have already promised Mrs. Merriwether, and I can't promise anyone else. I'm sorry."Uncle Peter, who was driving the car, frowned.

"Miss Scarlett," Uncle Peter said bluntly, "you should be more enthusiastic, at least show your enthusiasm for their proposal, it is very rude to refuse directly."

But Scarlett didn't hear Uncle Peter's words, her attention was all attracted by the bright figure on the sidewalk.

"That is……"

Bell Watling.

Rhett Butler's mistress.After she separated from Ritter, Ritter has been living with this woman.

Scarlett couldn't help looking back. This tall woman was wearing a paisley shawl with fringes down to her heels. She had an impudent face and heavy make-up that was too tacky.With red hair and distorted redness, this is a woman who "has worked hard on her hair".

"Don't look, miss," Uncle Peter noticed her gaze, immediately turned dark, and drove the carriage a little faster, "That's not a good thing."

Scarlett nodded approvingly.But she couldn't take her eyes off Bell.How can this woman be as beautiful as herself?Why did Rhett ask her to be his mistress?

Thinking of Rhett made her heart ache.It's a little bit easier to tell yourself over and over again, "Come on, come on, I'm already in Atlanta, and I'll see him soon." ——But if he still dares to look for that bastard this time—hmph!She glared at Bell's back with resentment.The other party seemed to be aware of her gaze, turned around suspiciously, and found that it was a young and beautiful lady, who couldn't help but smile tolerantly and charmingly, her brows and eyes were full of amorous feelings.Scarlett seemed to have been electrocuted and was restless with anger.Bell walked away nonchalantly.

The buildings beside the road opened further and further away, and Bell's figure had disappeared.Scarlett poked her head out, trying to relieve her heartache, but saw Miss Pittpat's house with red brick walls and slate roofs at the end of the road.This is the last house in the north of the city. After passing by, Peach Tree Street becomes narrower and narrower under the big trees. It turns around and goes straight into a thick and dark forest, disappearing.

The neat slatted fence outside Aunt Pete's house was freshly painted white, and the last kalanchoes of the season were sprinkling in bloom in the front yard.On the steps in front of the door stood two women in black.Fat Aunt Pete was so excited that she couldn't stand still, her fat hand was holding the beating heart under her overly plump chest.Standing next to her was a small Melanie in mourning, her black hair was combed slickly, and her melon-seeded face was beaming with joy as a sign of welcome.Scarlett returned her a happy smile.

It was great to see Melanie again!

As soon as they arrived, Aunt Pete and Melanie attacked from left to right, trying their best to persuade Scarlett to stay longer.The reasons were so varied: because they loved her very much, and as much as she loved Charlie who died, and they all recovered from their grief together, and so on and so forth.What’s more, the Confederacy needed everyone’s help—sewing, weaving, rolling bandages, tending the wounded.

But no matter how much they persuaded, Scarlett, who had already made up her mind, cleverly shirked it, saying that she would ask for her parents' permission, but she didn't mention it in the letter.She knew in her heart that she came to Atlanta this time to cultivate friendship with Melanie first, so that she would have the opportunity to take care of her in the future, and secondly, to meet Rhett who would come here soon.Otherwise, she would rather stay in Tara, stay with her mother, help her share her worries, and let her not be so tired.

"When I see Rhett," Scarlett swore secretly, "I'll—I'll have to run away! Sue Ellen doesn't know how much I can help, I still have to go home!"

Scarlett would still miss Tara, its red earth, its green cotton, its sweet stillness at dusk.But after reliving her life, she knows very well that Tara will be her eternal home, but it will not be the place where she will stay forever.She will gain comfort and strength from Tara, and then embark on a new journey.Now, Atlanta is her way!

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The days in Atlanta passed quickly. For Scarlett, except for being a little worried about Ellen, everything was much better than her previous life.Although for Melanie, she still has to go to some bandage-rolling meeting, sewing meeting, and various troublesome organizations.But nursing the wounded she was able to escape in a fair way.After all, caring for the seriously ill and wounded is the job of married wives, while young ladies are protected. Although Scarlett is engaged to Charles, she is also within the scope of protection before she can get married.Therefore, her job is extremely easy, and she only needs to take care of the wounded during the recovery period.

But Melanie, who is already married to Ashley, does not have this kind of treatment. She has to take care of the seriously ill and wounded, do some bandaging of stumps, and pick up maggots from inflamed wounds. Scarlett feels sick when she thinks about it However, Melanie, who is weak and dignified, is gentle, careful, and full of energy.The wounded called her "The Angel of Mercy"!Although Scarlett was worried about Melanie's health, there was nothing she could do for the time being.They could only find ways to let Melanie rest more at home, and the two girls became closer because of this.

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Scarlett made up her mind to let Melanie take it easy, but it's a pity that Melanie has no part in the funeral for her brother Charles.Melanie herself didn't mind at all.Atlanta's bazaars and dances are one after another, Scarlett is still a beautiful beauty, but no one knows her inner torment.All she remembered was that she and Rhett met again at a bazaar, but the Atlanta bazaar was held every few days—God, how long would she have to wait!Why don't you go back to Tara to see your mother first?

Yes, there are just too many bazaars in Atlanta.Scarlett began to look forward to each scene, but then inevitably lost interest.Fortunately, there are still a bunch of boys fawning on her, so she won't be too depressed.It's just that Scarlett herself didn't realize that she had grown to 28 years old in her previous life. It was because of the whole year after she was reborn that she was treated as a little girl that she really had the appearance of a 17-year-old girl. Show clues.Her behavior is no longer as presumptuous as in her previous life after the war, at least she doesn't have to worry about a swear word from her mouth from time to time.Circumstances were powerful, and perhaps Scarlett should have been thankful for that, or she would have been shut up and disciplined, let alone come to Atlanta—she was young and pretty, and everything was going her way, except for Rhett.

Another charity fair tonight.It was noon, and Scarlett was not sleepy at all, lazily picking out her evening clothes.Although you don't know when you will meet Rhett, it is always right to be prepared.Melanie and Aunt Pete were still taking a nap, which was the custom of southern ladies, but Scarlett didn't take it seriously.Who knows what she's doing when the door is closed?Just picked out a light blue taffeta dress, and was choosing jewelry, when Mrs. Merriwether and Mrs. Elsing came to visit suddenly, Scarlett quickly pretended to be just waking up, and Aunt Pitt, Melanie Go downstairs to the living room together.

"Mrs. Bonnell's daughters have measles," said Mrs. Merriwether, as soon as she came in. "The McClure girls have been called to Virginia to see their wounded brother. Pete, tonight." We want you and Merry to be there for Mrs Bonnell and the McClune girls."

Scarlett was taken aback for a moment, but she immediately burst into joy!