[Gone with the Wind] Back to the beginning

Things didn't develop as expected at all. Ellen's weak shoulders took over the burden of father and daughter, and faced the enemy in the north.Scarlett finds that she can't do what she wants to do—she has courage, but it takes more than courage to hold home.

The fleeing black slaves seemed to have a backbone when they saw Ellen, and they all returned to their huts under the gesture of the hostess' eyes.The northern army formed a semicircle opposite the door, looked at each other without speaking, and all looked at the lieutenant colonel, as if they didn't understand how things turned out like this.How could they stop for some reason because of a frail Southern woman.

The lieutenant colonel spat on the ground, then stepped on it hard.He grinned his teeth, pointed at Ellen, and said in a vicious voice, "Hey! Ma'am!—Bah! Bah!" He spat twice more, and pointed at Ellen, which made him feel inexplicably guilty, "You don't understand What do we mean? We are going to set fire to this place! Yes! This is an order from the superior, please leave immediately!"

Gerald opened his mouth to curse, but Ellen stopped him, and she looked at the lieutenant colonel.This woman from Savannah's seaside aristocrats was pale but calm.The gentle yet firm strength of her body came from her expression, her eyes, and everything. This expression belonging to the southerners made the northerners both confused and uncomfortable.She said coldly: "Mr. Lieutenant Colonel, we will not leave."

How did it all happen?And what did Ellen say afterward?Scarlett could not remember them all.She only remembered that her eye sockets were moist the moment Ellen spoke, her mother's lips opened and closed, and her soft and fuzzy voice was sweet and firm.Although the volume was not loud, it was undeniable. She blocked her daughter behind her, like a saint in distress.She was like the best of everything in the South, the most touching kind of civilization and strength in the South.She made her point in a southern way and never backed down until the lieutenant colonel had to believe what a spiritual civilization she was destroying.This was the first time for Scarlett—the first time after she completely abandoned everything in the South, she felt the power of the South completely and truly.While sometimes beautiful and unreal, sometimes heroic and soul-stirring.She suddenly understood why she sometimes felt that Merry was like Ellen—the two had the same qualities, or the epitome of the true essence of the South.They also taught her, greatly shook her heart, and made her comprehend—until now she had an epiphany.She couldn't let go of the things that belonged to the south, and she was destined to be unable to let go. In her heart, something was recovering.

"I still have my mother, I still have the South, and I still have possibilities for myself."

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Ellen finally didn't last long—her body was too weak.She passed out on the steps.Gerald hurriedly picked her up and rushed into the house, followed by Sue Ellen, but Scarlett had to grit her teeth and turned to face the Yankee soldiers—the shadows of cavalrymen appeared on the dusty road, and the young lieutenant Han Si waved his hands anxiously: "Sir! I brought the doctor over and asked him to take a look at the situation here!"

She swayed and leaned against the pillar, as if she had been pardoned.

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What Hans brought was a captain medical officer with a good heart and good medical skills.He saw the situation of Ellen, whose condition deteriorated again due to forced getting out of bed, and reported his judgment to his superiors, telling them that someone was really sick and could not move forcibly, so that Tara was finally saved from the bad luck of being burned.

But Tara was inevitably reduced to the headquarters of the Yankees. For the Yankees, a large estate near the battle line was indeed a suitable place to live.They politely drove the original owner of the family upstairs, and then occupied the downstairs and the entire farm.They camped around the house, and the cotton and corn fields were full of soldiers, and the pastures were all blue.There are always thousands of campfires lit at night!They tore down the fence to make a fire for cooking, and later they tore down the barn, the stable, and the smokehouse.They slaughtered cattle, pigs, and chickens—everything they could get their hands on, even the Christmas turkey.They committed all kinds of atrocities in Tara, but Tara's masters could only suffer in silence.Scarlett learned from the kind Yankee officer that Twelve Oaks Manor had been burned down on their way.She felt a little sorry, but knowing that she would never have the energy to look after Twelve Oaks, she forgot about it.

Upstairs and downstairs seem to be two worlds.The residents upstairs are restrained and maintain an unspeakable demeanor, trying their best to maintain their dignity in this small pure land.The conquerors downstairs were proud and self-satisfied, making noise and teasing wantonly, drinking and gambling, and speaking to the black slaves when they were in the mood, declaring the greatness of their deeds.But perhaps Ellen's courage on that day had somehow moved, and all the atrocities at least avoided the natives of Tara.The upstairs was not robbed by soldiers, and the two groups of people seemed to live in peace.

Sue Ellen and Karin rarely saw the Yankees—they were all guarding Ellen's bedside, and the one they saw most was the kind Yankee doctor.But even for the necessities of life, Scarlett and Gerald had to go down the stairs-Gerald never agreed to let his daughter go to the vulgar Yankees at first, but he found that his daughter handled many things better good.They passed through the Yankees without looking sideways, pretending to be in two different worlds.Those people were clamoring to direct the war, talking about how to capture their cities.It's very noisy, people come and go all day long, horses come and go.The sound of Jonesboro's guns came from far and near, like thunder, adding a layer of haze to the already difficult life.

"They burned the cotton," said Gerald, the usually strong little man whose hands were trembling slightly now, but pretended to be nonchalant in front of his daughter. "I found nothing—a Yankee cavalry told me, He whistled and said, 'Dude, where are you looking for your cotton? Didn't you see the big fire yesterday? Ha! Ha!' and left."

Scarlett's heart sank. The Yankees found the new cotton warehouse she asked the black slaves to build.Damn the Yankees!She tried her best to comfort her father: "Didn't we ask Captain Butler to deal with the cotton? Now the backlog is less than a year. Besides, I took a lot of it upstairs to make clothes for my family," she omitted. For fear of exposing the secret stronghold, "the situation is not too bad."

Gerald nodded slowly. "It's definitely better than the neighbors. I think we have to help them."

Scarlett twitched the corners of her mouth, but didn't laugh: "The cotton is all exchanged for money, who can exchange money for things now?"

Gerald fell silent.

Scarlett couldn't bear to see such a father.She almost murmured, "Soon, soon. The Yankees will be leaving Tara soon."

On September [-], Atlanta would fall.At that time... the command post will definitely move to a deeper place.

"Miss Merry's child is doing very well."

"Yes, we must let Mei Li take good care of her body."

The father and daughter had a short conversation while walking like this.They gathered firewood and dug some sweet potatoes.Then Scarlett proposed to go and see the huts where the black people lived.

"We're going to get back to planting," she said, with a certain determination on her face. "It's not going to happen without labor. The Yankees talk about liberating black people, and they shoot and run around all day long. We don't appease them, said the black people." Maybe he ran away, or cheated and followed the Yankees. It must not be like this."

She looked up at the evening sky, thinking that if her mother did this, she must be better than her.But she immediately told herself she had to do it.

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In the dimly lit shed, dozens of black people were making noise.

"What are you talking about? Waiting for the Yankees to come and kill us?" a young Negro exclaimed. When I come, I will find that someone has already escaped quietly. I don’t want to be kept in the dark and be left wondering what will happen! Ms. Ellen is probably dead. I haven’t seen her come to distribute food to us for so many days , I think we're still..."

"What nonsense are you talking about!" Big Sam, who had been squatting all this time, immediately jumped up and slapped the black man on the head, "Miss Ellen must be fine! Haven't you seen so many Yankees blocking her? Don't curse her! "

"But even if Miss Ellen is still alive, what are we doing like this?" Another black person questioned, and he said, "We work, and the master feeds us. But now the place is occupied, and we don't have to do any work. Are you starving to death here?"

"The Yankees said that if you go with them, you will have good food and drink! What kind of voting rights will you give me? I think it is..." A black boy was originally elated, but when everyone looked at him, he couldn't help but languid, "The Yankees didn't kill them either. Let's."

Big Sam has always accepted the truth and is loyal to the O'Hara family.When the black man said "no work and no food" before, he was stupid and would not refute, but this black boy had nothing to say when he wanted to defect to the enemy.He immediately ordered: "No! You are not allowed to go anywhere until Mr. O'Hara gives permission!"

Big Sam had been a foreman for a while, and he had some prestige among the Negroes.For a while, it was he who tried his best to suppress it, so that the black people did not run away.From this point of view alone, it was indeed useful for Scarlett to make great efforts to keep him.But the longer the time, facing the restless black people, Big Sam couldn't come up with a solution, and could only wait for the instructions of the masters, which made everyone more and more disappointed.Invisibly, the idea of ​​betrayal and escape is breeding.Therefore, after this time of scolding, the black people are no longer resentful and helpless as usual.They looked at each other, and then shouted at the same time.

"We can't be stuck here and starve to death!"

"The Yankees said they'd eat it!"

"The owner of the manor doesn't even know if he's still here!"

"..."

Big Sam was overwhelmed by the bout after bout of yelling, and he was at a loss for what to do with the angry black people.He vaguely felt that the situation had changed badly, but with his low IQ, he really couldn't understand what happened and what he should do.Just at this time--

"Mr. Gerald! Miss Scarlett!" he exclaimed, both surprised and delighted.

The blacks fell silent for a moment.