[Gone with the Wind] Back to the beginning

The frost suddenly fell, and the weather was suddenly cold.The biting cold wind blows straight into the room from the threshold, making people shiver with cold.The residents of Tara put on the winter clothes that Sue Allen and Karin made from sheets and cotton, but it was still difficult to resist the severe cold.

Scarlett and Ellen are in the study, discussing the loss of food in the family after the Yankee raid.

"Thanks to Sally's notification, and thanks to—" Ellen looked at Scarlett with gentle eyes, "Thanks to you, my good daughter. Without you, everyone would not have prepared in advance. If it were not for your arrangement, We're going to lose more stuff too. Tara's doing as well as it could in the county."

Scarlett nodded silently.Due to her planning in this life, Tara retained almost three or four times as many materials as in her previous life (the cabin was not included, of course).However, the population she has to support is much larger than in her previous life.The current situation is difficult. Although the black slaves are working hard to grow cotton, it is unknown when the cotton will be exchanged for bills, and the grain is decreasing day by day at a speed visible to the naked eye.Even so, Tara's situation is better than most families in the county, which shows how destitute Georgia residents are now.

"There is probably nothing left in the Calvert family." Scarlett whispered, secretly worried for Catherine, "but the Tarleton family, the Munro family and the Fontaine family, I have reminded before that the Yankees may come back again." It's coming. They also have some food savings, and none of them has as many people as Tara."

"Scarlett, you've done a good job." Ellen always spoke softly, she asked softly, "But Tara's food has been getting in and out. I can only ask you once— How much of the private property you bought in the log house in the swamp before? I know that you secretly brought food from there to support Tara before."

Scarlett hesitated for a moment, and then gave an answer that surprised Ellen.

"According to everyone's current daily food intake... enough for a little more than five months."

"Five months?" Even though Ellen was always calm, he couldn't help being surprised.

"But we don't know when the war will end." Scarlett added immediately, tensely, as if worried that Ellen would immediately take these out to help the neighbors.

Of course Ellen could see what her daughter was thinking.She is not only angry and funny, but also distressed at the same time.She sighed and said, "Scarlett, we can't watch our neighbors starve to death, although they haven't reached that point yet."

Scarlett moved her lips, remembering the generous support of her neighbors in her previous life, she reluctantly said: "Of course I won't watch them starve to death—but a little over five months is based on Tara's current food intake .If you want to feed your family, once you open it up, it won't be enough. We don't know how long the war is going to be."

—The war will end next April, less than five months away, Scarlett certainly knows this.The opossums, hares, catfish, hickory nuts, and acorns that Polk worked so hard to find every day, plus a few bags of cornmeal and sweet potatoes at home, are now their food to satisfy their hunger.Of course she was unwilling to just distribute the hard-earned food like this.

"Mum," she whispered, "I can't tell you that I'm afraid the war will bring disaster to us—you know Dad won't listen. I try to keep these things so that the whole family can live. .Mom, I really tried my best. I won't watch my neighbors starve to death, we will help them. But since they won't starve to death—” She raised her face full of longing, “I tried to save I also hope that everyone in the family can eat two more bites, and don’t be too hungry. We must work hard and build Tara as soon as possible. Mom, I don’t want my family to be hungry.”

"Those grains are your private property." Finally, Ellen spoke, which made Scarlett overjoyed, "I promised you would not interfere—my dear, I understand that you used your own money without telling us. How difficult it is to exchange jewelry for these."

Scarlett understood that saying this was already a great compromise from her mother, and she was about to tell her mother that she would not see her neighbors starve to death, when Ellen said, "But dear, you have to figure out what to do when the quartermasters come." Yet?"

Scarlett froze for a moment.

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When the quartermaster came, it was Christmas Eve, and Tara’s grain stock was only a little less than when Scarlett and Ellen talked—Ellen announced to everyone that Miss Scarlett had brought some grain back from Atlanta in advance.Although the number is not large, it is enough to help Talador survive for a while.These words boosted Tara's morale, and the three meals with larger portions than before also made Tara more confident.

Most of the food in the cabin has not been taken out—Scarlett drove alone, and sent a bag of cornmeal to the most difficult Calvert family (although the family now only has two Yankees besides Catherine), and sent The two bags of cornmeal were divided into several portions and given to families in the county one by one, and I received countless gratitude.The three bags of cornmeal were still within Scarlett's tolerance, and she had the impression that Tara was safe and sound until the end of the war, and the Yankees would not come again, so she had more confidence in the future.After delivering the food, she brought home another three bags of cornmeal, several bolts of cloth and a bag of seeds.There was even a hunk of ham in the cart!

Although only small slices of ham were shaved to satisfy their hunger, the residents of Tara were still more motivated.By Christmas, they had finished repairing the place destroyed by the Yankees—Scarlett and Gerald calculated the maximum manpower that Tara could mobilize, marked out the area where cotton would be cultivated in the coming year, and laid out the areas that had no time to take care of. Sweet potato seeds are sprinkled on the ground, hoping to stop the weeds.Now everyone is looking forward to Christmas, because Ellen has agreed to a rooster and leftover ham for Christmas dinner.

Frank Kennedy surprised the whole family from afar when he arrived with his quartermasters.The whole group looked like tramps in ragged clothes, most of them were still wearing the blue uniforms captured from the Yankees.Most of these people are wounded soldiers who have retreated from the front line. Those who lack arms and legs cannot continue to fight.

Su Ailun was overjoyed when she saw her fiancé Frank, and didn't care about work.Seeing that Christmas was coming, Scarlett didn't bother to scold her, how nice it would be to be happy for a while!Ellen had left the soldiers at Tara for Christmas, and the girls pulled out the battered velvet rugs for the soldiers to rest on, much to the delight of the soldiers who had been sleeping out.They were all pure southerners, and although they were unshaven, they were all very well-bred, and they talked and laughed happily, which actually brought a lot of festive atmosphere to Tara.

Gerald encouraged the soldiers one by one, talking and laughing happily, Ellen's soft and caring voice was touching, Sue Allen and Frank's eyes met, their faces were flushed, and even Karin, who had always been in a trance, was happier than usual.Discovering that one of these people actually knew Brent Stewart, she resolved to have a good talk with the man after dinner.Meili is trying to liven up the atmosphere and make sure the guests are happy physically and mentally.Seeing that Karin is still obsessed with Brent, Scarlett is secretly worried.But turning around, she also asked these soldiers about Rhett Butler behind her parents' back, but unfortunately, she found nothing.

"This rascal!" She was angry secretly, "Obviously he promised to write to me. But, will something happen to him?" Thinking of Rhett, Scarlett couldn't help feeling anxious.He'll be fine!The battle must have been fought so hard that the letter couldn't be delivered!

At dinner, Mammy served cornmeal, peanuts, dried beans, and chicken broth, and everyone, including the soldiers, got a small slice of ham.The guests also added their own grilled corn and bacon, even saying they hadn't had such a hearty meal in months.Gerald even made sure to kill a piglet (fortunately he didn't know anything about the cabin!) and serve it with a stewed apple stuffed in his mouth. "This is Christmas." He rubbed his hands in satisfaction, beckoning the soldiers to eat more.

After a sumptuous dinner, everyone was reincarnated like hungry ghosts.After the meal, the soldiers took out the "clean rolls" from their backpacks for dessert.It was the first time for the ladies of Tara to see this kind of Confederate food, but there were so many jokes about it that the soldiers urged them to try it.This thing looks like a scorched spiral wood strip, and it is hard and sticky until you bite it.Su Ailun almost spat it out after taking a bite, and quickly returned it to others, causing a burst of friendly laughter from the soldiers.Scarlett was about to say no, but suddenly remembering that Rhett was probably chewing the damned squeegee right now, she managed to swallow it too.This taste is really not flattering, and it doesn't feel half of it in the stomach.Scarlett and Sue Allen looked at each other, with "Eat this thing, how can you fight?" written on their faces.

The Quartermaster traveled all over the place and was well informed. After dinner, the girls were anxious to find out what was going on outside.Since the fall of Atlanta, the surrounding mail routes have been completely interrupted. Now for four full months, there is no knowledge of where the Yankees are now, how the Confederate war is going, the situation in Atlanta, and the whereabouts of old friends.Frank told everyone that Sherman drove Atlanta residents out, and many old people died on the road.Their troops were repaired in Atlanta until mid-November and set off again. Before leaving, they set off a fire, causing Atlanta to be scorched.Although the Confederates later occupied Atlanta, what was the use of such a city?

Meili was about to cry when she heard the news that Atlanta was almost burned down, and Frank was most afraid of women's tears.He was not good at words, racking his brains to think of some news that could comfort Meili.

"Some houses are still there," he said. "The houses that are open and far away from other houses are not on fire. The church and the Masonic Hall are still there, and there are a few shops. But the commercial district, along the railway line, around Wujiaochang— —Well, girls, it's all flat. Your Aunt Pitt's house's still there, though, with a little damage."

"Really?" the girls asked in unison, overjoyed, "how did it escape the fire?"

"Well, it's a brick house with a slate roof, the only one in Atlanta. It doesn't catch a spark if it falls on your head, that's why, I suppose. Besides, it's far on the north end of town, and there isn't much fire there. Of course. Well, the Yankees in the quarters demolished and tore down the wainscots and the mahogany banisters of the stairs for firewood, bah! But it's mostly all right. When I saw Miss Pitt in Macon last week . . . "

"Did you see your aunt? Is she all right?" Merry asked eagerly.

"Very well, very well, as soon as I told her the house was still there, she made up her mind to go back at once--if the old black person said yes. A lot of Atlanta people have already gone back, because staying in Macon is too scared to death. Sher Mann didn't hit Macon, but everyone was worried about Wilson's troops, he was more vicious than Sherman."

"But going back after the house is gone, isn't that confusing? Where do you live when you go back?"

"Miss Su Allen, they live in tents, sheds, and small wooden houses. In the houses that haven't been burned down, there are six or seven families crowded together. Everyone is also trying to rebuild their homes. They have a heart-to-heart with the city, and they are so stubborn. Donkeys, don't try to drive them away with a fire! Our people are amazing! Mr. O'Hara, Mrs. O'Hara, the first batch of people who have returned to the city are now collecting useful materials and rebuilding the house. The day before yesterday I returned I saw Mrs. Merriweather, Miss Maybelle, and her old nigger woman pushing a cart to pick up bricks in the street. Mrs. Meade told me that she was going to build a log house, and she would just wait for Dr. Meade to come back and help her. And said she lived in the cabin when she first came to Atlanta--it was called Marthasville in those days--and it wouldn't matter if she lived in it again. Of course she was joking, but it showed everybody's determination, didn't it? "

"I think they're really ambitious." Merry was proud, but Scarlett was thinking differently.She asked Frank Kennedy, "So Atlanta must be running out of lumber right now?"