[Gone with the Wind] Back to the beginning

The visit to Fontaine's house boosted Tara's morale. As long as she knew that there were neighbors and old friends nearby to face the difficult times together, the unbearable loneliness in her heart would quietly dissipate.The black people found that Miss Scarlett spoke more kindly, and Ellen was relieved to find that there was a trace of tenderness on her daughter's face that she hadn't seen for a long time.Although she still gets angry sometimes uncontrollably, she is no longer so paranoid and fierce.

This is not to say that Scarlett has become a lady—she is not in her bones, but her attitude has quietly changed.She is like a bowstring that has been stretched tightly, but now it knows how to relax a little bit.Impatience and anxiety no longer tormented her heart day and night, and the conscience she once thought was completely lost quietly returned—it was still different from Ellen's, but her completely collapsed moral values ​​were gradually re-established.It is far looser than that of the old south, but still has its own boundaries, its own bottom line, not the unscrupulousness of the previous life.All of this has subtly changed Scarlett's spiritual temperament. The tension, sharpness, and depression that she used to feel when approaching her are gone, replaced by energy, love, and drive.

Really, tomorrow is another day.

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After the Fontaines, the O'Haras visited the Tarletons, the Munroes and the Calverts in turn.Among them, the first two survived the catastrophe, and like the Fontaine family, they had to share half of the family's food with Tara.It is a southern tradition for folks to help each other. They share generously but don’t ask for a penny. They say that Tara will do the same, and it’s not too late to use the real thing after the next year’s harvest.

However, considering the situation at home, Ellen thought that she could support it for the time being, and firmly disagreed with accepting so many things.Now every family is short of food, and no one is well-off, and Tara is far from exhausted.She received only a very limited amount of help.And Scarlett knew that she still had the food in the cabin, and her situation was better than that of her neighbors, so she didn't object to Ellen's opinion.However, when visiting several neighbors, Scarlett specifically reminded that the war was not over yet, and the Yankees might come back to raid at any time, and it was best to find a place to hide the precious food.It would be better to be in trouble than to be robbed.

She knew in her heart that there would be another wave of raids to come, and this time no one was missed.Scarlett knew that she couldn't keep the food stored in the cabin in secret forever, and she would have to confess to Ellen sooner or later.Ellen knew about the cabin when she built it. She just thought that Scarlett had saved food for the family when she was in a coma. Of course, Ellen could see that the food account was wrong, so she couldn't take out much now. .If the neighbors' homes were looted like in the previous life, Ellen would definitely ask Scarlett to provide food assistance after confessing.Ellen couldn't just watch other people starve to death.Therefore, Scarlett would rather spend more time emphasizing the possibility of the Yankees coming back to sweep up and persuade several families to hide food.

"If everyone doesn't starve to death, our family is just more affluent, and Mom doesn't have to force me to distribute the food." Scarlett thought firmly, and now she is getting more and more clear about the position of Ellen's tolerance line for her. , "At most, they can return a little more of what they have done to Tara now. This kind of favor is deserved."

The Fontaines, the Tarletons and the Munroes all followed Scarlett's advice, but the Calverts made Scarlett suspicious.Now the family is controlled by the Yankee supervisor Hilton, and Mr. Calvert's northern wife obeys him, and Catherine can't help them at all.Under such circumstances, Scarlett rotted the suggestion of hiding food in her stomach.Because if Hilton informs the North Army, her cabin may not be kept under deliberate investigation.She looked at the increasingly haggard Catherine, and silently said sorry in her heart.

If given the chance, she really didn't want to see Catherine marry Hilton like she did in her previous life.But now Scarlett is really powerless.

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This year's Xiaoyangchun lasted until November, and the warm days brought endless joy to people.Scarlett was happy counting the days to put off winter clothes by another day.

The men of Tara toiled in the sun, and the new crop of cotton, though modest, was always a hope.Scarlett and Gerald's eyes lit up when they talked about more cotton to be planted next year.Polk volunteered to ride a horse to Macon to buy some cloth and food back, but they were stopped by the reason that the situation outside was unpredictable.The ham and eggs given by the neighbor are enough to eat with sweet potatoes. If you want to wear winter clothes, you can tear down the curtains and use the newly harvested cotton to make a living. When Scarlett contributed the idea of ​​pulling the curtains, there was a lot of cheers. Thinking of the predicament in the previous life, It's like a lifetime away.

"Just survive the winter!" Amidst the laughter, Gerald's rough voice was particularly loud, "We will plant a large variety of special species in the spring tomorrow! We will plant the entire field with cotton!"

After hearing his words, everyone couldn't help but straighten their tired backs and look at the brown fields in autumn, as if they saw rows of green and strong cotton in the coming year, acre after acre beyond the horizon.Everyone's face is full of longing.

"That's right, the biggest difficulty has passed!" People said with a smile.

Today, Tara works together, with a clear division of labor, and everyone works hard to survive the winter.Even Su Ailun, whom Scarlett suspected most, was unequivocal when it came to making winter clothes, except for sometimes bickering with her.

"Compared to old clothes, the upper body is too big." Su Ailun complained, "If I knew it earlier, I could save some cloth." Maybe because she participated in the housekeeping, she is now a bit of a miser Stance.

"Are you sure it's too big?" Scarlett took an exaggerated breath, "Did I read it wrong? Didn't the waist you made for yourself measure twenty inches bigger? Sue Ellen, you finally have a pair that is less than twenty inches Small waist!"

"Scarlett!" Su Ailun gritted her teeth, "People who don't even wear tights have the right to criticize me."

"I have to work, and I will pass out at any time if I wear tights." Scarlett didn't take it seriously, "You'd better take it off earlier, now it's not the same as before."

Su Ailun muttered: "Maybe I can eat less with my belly stretched." Scarlett heard it clearly, and secretly wondered if it was time to tell the cabin.Thinking of this, she asked the little girl who had been immersed in her needlework: "Karin, tell the truth, can the food you are given now make you half full?"

Karin looked up, and Scarlett noticed that her usually delicate and tender face was now pale and thin, and she couldn't help feeling worried.Karin said, "Sister, I'm fine. I can survive." When she stopped sewing, her left hand unconsciously grasped the rosary on her right wrist.

In fact, Karin's state is the most worrying thing about Tara today.The youngest daughter of the O'Hara family was delicate and fragile by nature, like a cherry blossom that blows away.Although she was obedient and docile, she couldn't hide the trance look on her worried face.Whenever there was no time for work, she held a rosary and murmured a prayer for the dead Brent Tarleton.Scarlett didn't expect her little sister to have such a crush on Brent. Even though Brent was not engaged to Karin in this life, Karin still remained infatuated.

Scarlett thought that Karin in her previous life was also doing the work assigned to her so meekly and obediently. It was not until Tara survived that she unexpectedly made the decision to go to the monastery.She didn't know her sister well at the time, but Karin's understanding really made people feel distressed.Perhaps, she should remind her mother to pay more attention to Karin's situation, after all, everyone is too busy now.

"Just a little longer," she said to her two sisters, "just a little longer, and everything will be all right."

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At noon one day in mid-November, the family sat at the kitchen table eating a sweet dessert Mammy made with cornmeal and sorghum syrup.The air is cool, the first chill of the year has hit.Although the food in the mouth is not sweet, everyone is in good spirits.Ellen has already agreed to Polk's proposal, and if the weather is so cold for a few more days, he will kill pigs and eat them.How beautiful it is to eat meat!Thinking of the taste of meat, I can eat a few more mouthfuls of rice.

"The days will always get better and better." Gerald was talking and laughing loudly with enthusiasm, "I think the Yankees should leave soon, when..."

Scarlett was not interested in this argument, but looking at the eyes of Su Allen and Karin, she always knew that this could be inspiring, so she reluctantly agreed.

"Yeah, wait until the next cotton harvest..."

"Hush! Scarlett!" Melanie interrupted her suddenly, with the spoon still in her mouth, her face uncertain, "Did you hear anything? It seems that someone is calling Mr. O'Hara and Mrs. O'Hara! "

"What?" Scarlett was startled and didn't respond. When she really heard the shout, she pushed her chair and jumped up, and ran to the door to look around: "Sally Fontaine! It's Sally Fontaine! God, How did she come?—bad!"

Scarlett turned around, and urgently said to the people who were coming: "Hurry up and put away the tableware, put the food on the truck and push it away!"

Seeing that everyone still didn't understand what she meant, Scarlett was anxious and shouted loudly, "The Yankees are coming!"

The Yankees are coming!