[Gone with the Wind] Back to the beginning

Gerald did not want to agree to Scarlett's proposal.But amidst the sound of hooves getting closer, when the rugged man realized that he had no time to persuade his stubborn daughter, all he could do was put his arms around her shoulders.

"Susie, Karin, you go to Merry's place with you. Nurse and Dilsy go to Mrs. O'Hara's and they are all calm. Leave the rest to me and Miss O'Hara." Gerald Dodd issued orders calmly, showing the calm demeanor of the head of the family, and then said to Scarlett, "Come on, my daughter."

The Yankees were coming to Jonesboro—thousands of men and horses to cut the circuit.They hit the river and took the main road, setting fire to houses along the way to destroy the South's war capabilities, or to relax and pastime.And Scarlett and Gerald went out to the front porch to meet the invaders as if they were commanding an army.

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"Someone's out," said the signalman. "It looks like the owner and his daughter." He whistled lightly. "Hey, that girl looks really nice."

"Hollier!" said the young adjutant dissatisfied, "You should understand that we are marching."

"All right, Hans, he just said that casually." The lieutenant colonel laughed, "Deserts are not counted, the entire army must maintain its combat effectiveness, and we will not kill these civilians——Okay, take it easy , don't be so serious."

Hans frowned and didn't retort. The lieutenant colonel's words were actually quite important, but what disgusted him was the war itself: "I think we should go and say hello to them."

"They won't welcome us." Houlier shrugged and said, but dropped the rein easily, "See? The little beauty's face is sullen."

He strolled up the steps while talking, carefree and polite, and said in a rough voice, "Hey! Mr. and Miss, we are going to set fire to this place, please leave quickly."

As soon as he raised his head, he saw the green-eyed beauty looking at him coldly, his eyes seemed to burst into flames, but in the end they turned into restrained contempt and arrogance.Being stared at by such a beautiful woman, Houllier felt a little embarrassed anyway. He rubbed his hands and said in a louder voice: "Please--sir and miss, I am speaking to you on behalf of Lieutenant Colonel Murray. We It's going to burn right away—"

"Please keep your voice down." Unexpectedly, it was the daughter of this family who spoke first.This time, although she restrained her words, her expression was clearly reserved and indifferent, and her cold disdain revealed who was the owner of this place, which inexplicably made Houlier feel a little flustered, "There is a patient and a pregnant woman at home, so it is inconvenient to be disturbed. "

"Oh, it's like this..." Houlier responded indiscriminately, because it was indeed a request of reason, even in the north (he didn't seem to notice that the charming lady was outspoken about the term ).It wasn't until a few seconds later that his dull brain realized that he was the conqueror. Houlier said quickly, "But we really have to—" He suddenly felt that he couldn't speak.

"Hollier! What are you fussing about?" The lieutenant colonel asked dissatisfiedly, "Now that the formalities are over, can we get down to business? This gentleman and lady." His tone was clearly condescending.

"Sorry," said Gerald coldly, and the little Irishman put his arms around his daughter's shoulders, and stood on his own soil—on his own steps, with a gallant contempt for the Yankees, "here is our home."

The lieutenant colonel laughed. He had obviously heard more than one of these jokes, so he managed to show the so-called politeness: "But we'll have to burn it right away." The last words are accented, " Please come out."

Gerald looked at him, then proudly refused, "No."

"This is my own land." He repeated word by word, "I earned it back with my hands, and no one can take it away." He slowly looked around the Northern Army, "Why don't you take me and the house together? Burn it, and I'm never leaving Tara anyway."

The lieutenant colonel looked at him like he was looking at a nagging old man who always mentioned his past. He laughed and was about to speak.The old gentleman's daughter had already added coldly: "There are typhoid patients and pregnant women at home, and they will die if they leave."

Young Hans couldn't help calling out: "Lieutenant Colonel..."

"Okay!" The lieutenant colonel knew what he was going to say without listening. He made up his mind, and said to the father and daughter on the steps with a gesture of cutting through the mess, "I understand what you mean! But the order is to burn. Set it on fire for two hours, you can figure it out yourself. If you say you will let it go at that time, you will really let it go."

"You still won't let us in?" There was a commotion among the soldiers.

"Lieutenant Colonel!" Hans said anxiously, "there are typhoid patients in this family, we can't just drive them away - can I go to the headquarters and ask a military doctor to come back and have a look? Maybe we can just stay here, but In any case, it shouldn't be..." He still has a conscience, he only feels that every life is painful, and he regrets this trip to the south more and more.

"It's better to rest for a while." The lieutenant colonel snorted, his eyes flicked back and forth between Gerald and Scarlett's faces, looking very unfriendly.Then he smiled contemptuously: "Southerners are really virtuous."

"I'm not tired." Hans said softly, stroking the horse's mane, and then he reined in the horse and drove away.

However, behind him, the conflict between the Southerners and the Northern Army has begun to smell like gunpowder.

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"Tell me again!" Gerald trembled with anger.

The lieutenant colonel's long knife hung on his waist, and the scabbard slapped his leather boots.He walked half a circle around Gerald and his daughter, and suddenly smiled:

"What a solid southerner," he said contemptuously, and apparently addressing Gerald, "as much as the damned red clay here. I suppose you know what I mean? It It makes me feel like breathing is a burden. Damn it, the wind and dust here... what are you doing!" He roared in surprise and anger, because Gerald had already stepped forward and grabbed him by the collar, yelling Said: "You have the courage to say it again!"

"Dad!" Before the anger burned the last sliver of reason, Gerald's raised fist was pointed at by countless black hole muzzles. Scarlett almost immediately grabbed her father's wrist, and then forcibly blocked him with her body. At the gunpoint, "Calm down, Dad!" she yelled anxiously, "Tara! Tara!"

"Didn't you hear that bastard said he was going to burn Tara!" Gerald looked like an enraged bull, which was particularly intimidating in the eyes of the lieutenant colonel. This time, he smiled contemptuously, "I don't even look at what you are!" He threw the lieutenant colonel to the ground.

Some soldiers rushed up the steps to break in, and more wanted to help the lieutenant colonel or grab Gerald.All of a sudden, Scarlett felt a wave of grief and anger welling up in her heart, she almost desperately stood in front of those soldiers and shouted sharply:

"Go away! This is my home!"

Tara!her home!Scarlett realized now that there was nothing else she could say--neither cool, restrained politeness nor skillful sympathy.No, not at all.These people are invaders, and if they want to come in, she has to block her life.She was the same as Gerald in that, and it never changed no matter how many times she was reborn.

Some soldiers stopped hesitantly, and some obscenities came out of their mouths. In the chaos, someone fired a gun into the sky, which shocked the black slaves in the hut to scream and run around like headless flies.The lieutenant colonel got up from the ground, spat out a mouthful of bloody phlegm, and his hideous face was blue and purple.Howling, scolding, and the sound of horseshoes, the situation is completely out of control and is about to slip into an uncontrollable place——

"Please calm down, gentlemen."

The soft and melodious tone will not be more familiar, but how can it be——Scarlett turned her head suddenly, and Ellen O'Hara was standing at the door of Tara with the support of Su Ellen, looking down, pale and weak, but noble and dignified .

It's mom.

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Ellen was standing under the porch, with an off-white linen shawl wrapped around her long black dress.She was supported by Su Ailun, with a dignified demeanor, an elegant demeanor, gentle and stern eyes.She is clearly weak - pale complexion, slightly drooping eyelashes, and a precarious body.The slender neck seemed to be under the weight of a head of black hair.But she's clearly not—or more than weak.There was an aura about her, a strange power that made her face seem to have the halo of the Virgin Mary.Her dark eyes are gentle but bright, her nose bridge is long and straight inherited from her father who was a subordinate of Napoleon, and her jaw is square and square, giving the soft facial contours a hidden firmness.She is charming, and she inherits all the grace and tenderness of a southern lady, but she is also arrogant, which comes from the belief in eternal life and all the cultures that raised her.She said calmly:

"Please calm down, gentlemen."

The hostess of Tara Manor has a soft and pleasant voice, which usually makes the black slaves who make mistakes bow their heads and shame, and also makes the guests respect.Standing on the well-organized and vibrant land because of her, she has an indescribable radiance all over her body.This weak and stubborn woman made the Yankee soldiers rushing up the steps subconsciously stop, and Scarlett was already standing in front of those soldiers.

"Mother!" she cried anxiously, "how can you get out of bed! Your typhoid fever..."

The soldiers backed away a little in fear of the word typhoid, but Ellen didn't answer Scarlett's question.She looked at the two parties who had temporarily stopped their hands because of her arrival but hadn't separated, and said again: "Could you please come to my place, Mr. O'Hara." She nodded to Scarlett, "Miss O'Hara."

Gerald's face flushed with anger slowly calmed down, he glanced at the officer, and led his daughter to his wife. "Mrs. O'Hara," whispered the brave and brusque man, as if sorry for his behaviour.

The scene froze for a while.