[Gone with the Wind] Back to the beginning

After listening to Scarlett's plan and asking for a few details, Will finally agreed to watch the store for her during the slack.

"But who are you going to put in charge of the other store?" he asked finally.

Scarlett didn't speak. Of course, she wanted to take care of herself, and she wasn't even willing to prepare a second candidate, but it was obviously not the right time to speak up.Will seemed to see what she was thinking, and didn't ask any more questions, but just took a deep look at Scarlett.

------------

After Scarlett entered the city, she first visited Aunt Peter's house, exchanged a few quick greetings, and then left the reluctant old lady behind and asked Uncle Peter to take her to the warehouse.The warehouse in Pentagon Plaza has not yet opened, but it is full of supplies.Because Uncle Peter helped to look after it, and because the appearance was really unremarkable, nothing was stolen.But there was dust inside, and the supplies were piled up in disarray.Scarlett saw that the warehouse was so full that it was about to overflow, she understood that she wanted to tidy it up in vain, so she just cleaned the dust a little, covered it with a layer of cloth, and then went to several lumber factories in her memory.

Scarlett's first choice is still Johnson's lumber factory, which is the one she bought in her previous life, and she still knows everything about this lumber factory.But Scarlett also knows that Johnson is treacherous like a fox, and she will never let her kill the price easily, so she hurriedly walked through other timber factories, and after knowing the general situation, she walked into Johnson with her head slightly raised. lumber factory.

An hour and a half later, the smug Miss O'Hara left the lumber mill with a satisfactory order and enough useful information, leaving Johnson behind grinning. so familiar.Scarlett was in a good mood, and she thought that she might be able to lower the price for the store someday.Well, now is not the time.

Immediately, craftsmen and labor were hired, and Scarlett led a group of people to Hamilton's land.She knew it was too eye-catching, but it was nothing compared to what she was going to do in the future, so Scarlett didn't take it to heart.Strange to say, the defeat seemed to take off a layer of restraint for her, and Scarlett couldn't wait to break the rules she had broken in her previous life and share that feeling with Ellen.She longed for a deeper understanding from her mother. Although it was almost impossible to agree, the fear in her heart was gone.

The rectangular foundation looks particularly desolate under the sky.A quarter of a mile of warehouses stretched along the railroad, and now only a few blackened ruins remained.Scarlett managed to find the land of the warehouse by relying on the remains of the carport, pointed it out to the craftsmen and asked to start work immediately.This time she was going to stay in Atlanta until the warehouse was built.Atlanta is busy rebuilding, and architectural talent abounds.As long as you have money and are willing to spend it, it is easy to build a house, but most southern residents have no money at hand.And Scarlett brought a lot of money with her when she went out this time.

"Let them make it more detailed... Well, 65 yuan, no more! You can't spend more than 65 yuan on the warehouse building. God, there is not enough money!" She couldn't help complaining.

Under Scarlett's urging, it took six days to build the warehouse. During the period, Will went to the city to help her after buying things. Without his shrewd and capable warehouse, it would have been impossible to build the warehouse so quickly.Scarlett sent home a letter, briefly explaining the current situation, and telling her mother that she was asking Dr. Meade to look at Will's leg, even if she couldn't get a new one right away, at least to ensure that the fracture was well taken care of.Of course, Ellen would not refuse this proposal. She blamed herself for not expecting the discomfort of Will's hastily changed leg, and even told Scarlett to stay in Atlanta until the leg was changed.Will resolutely rejected this proposal. After being inspected by Dr. Meade, he was carefully measured by a carpenter, and he remembered the mold and size, and agreed to replace it after the cotton collection season.Then on the tenth day, Will and Scarlett drove back to Tara.

Scarlett noticed that while in Atlanta, Will bought something that wasn't on the shopping list.

--------------

Will and Scarlett returned with a full load, the blacks were busy unloading the things from the car, and the girls also came over to take away the things they asked Will to buy.Now that Tara is living a better life than in the war, she can finally catch her breath.Mei Li got the milk bought for Xiao Bo, Su Ailun took away the inexpensive but eye-catching hairpin, but Karin, who didn't want anything, unexpectedly received a gift from Will - a small but delicate hair clip. sewing kit.

Karin's original sewing kit had been damaged a long time ago, and she had been barely making ends meet. She didn't expect Will to be so careful.Of course, with Will's carefulness, he would never forget Scarlett who was with him—he reminded her to buy himself some hand cream.Scarlett had brought a lot of coins with her when she went out, but Willtan reminded her frankly that she didn't need to spend money deliberately.Scarlett looked at her thicker hands, and couldn't help but think of the humiliating scene in the prison in her previous life.In this life, she also picked cotton in order to force the black slaves to work hard. Although the situation was not as dire as in the previous life, it was obviously not in the hands of the pampered lady.So she snorted, and chose a good hand cream for herself with heartache.

Scarlett thought to herself that if Karin had some brains, she would understand that Will was interested in her, but there was no movement from Karin, and she still treated Will as her elder brother gently.If before the war, Will, who did not belong to the manor class, would certainly not be worthy of Karin, but now that the world has changed, since Will is kind and capable, of course Tara welcomes him as his son-in-law.Scarlett thought so, Su Ellen thought so too, even Gerald thought so, but I didn't know Ellen's opinion.

Gerald is a big old man. Although his ancestors have the blood of Irish nobles, they have been in exile for a long time and started from scratch, so they don't care much about the distinction of rank. It can be seen from his bold proposal to marry the seaside pearl Ellen. two.He purely saw that his youngest daughter could talk well with Will, this white young man was hardworking and capable, and it was hard to find a husband after too many men died in the war (he couldn't help but worry a little about his eldest daughter), so he thought about it.But how could Gerald be able to hide his words, and he yelled out his words at the dinner table not long after.

"Hey, let me say, the young man of the Benting family." He swallowed the last piece of sweet potato in his mouth with great effort, and shouted loudly, "After waiting for so long, why haven't you come to me to propose marriage? You have been waiting for me like my daughter looking at you?"

Originally, it was only about the marriage between Su Ailun and Frank, and Su Ailun was looking shy. Unexpectedly, Gerald's thoughts jumped, and he asked Will and Karin in a blink of an eye.He sincerely regards Will as a family member, and also thinks that the two have feelings for each other, so he speaks out without hesitation.Will's face was slightly red, and just about to speak, Karin had already pushed away the rice bowl in front of her, and stood up unsteadily.Her face was as white as a ghost, flustered and at a loss, her voice was thin but as if she had exhausted her courage: "Stop it, Dad—Mom, I don't plan to get married anymore—I want to become a monk."

Obviously, this idea has been lingering in his heart for a long time, but at this moment he blurted out in a panic.Karin was tongue-tied for a moment, and after a while, she pushed away her chair and stumbled to the upstairs room as if she was ashamed to face everyone.Soon, there was the sound of closing the door.

Only then did Ellen recover from her surprise. She glanced at Gerald with disapproval, and said, "Why would Karin think of becoming a monk—where did she get the idea?"

Will's voice was very calm but with a hint of bitterness: "...that's abrupt, Mrs. O'Hara. Miss Karin usually likes to chant scriptures and quietness, but she never mentioned it. Today should be a moment impulse."

Gerald, who knew he had made a mistake, rubbed his hands uneasily.Scarlett thought that it was her father who said something bad. Karin has never forgotten Brent, but she couldn't mention it because Brent was chasing after Scarlett.In order to prevaricate her past marriage, she used her possessions as an excuse.If Will and Karin spend more time together, it may not be a matter of course, but now it is a disaster!

A cautious atmosphere was brewing in the silence, Ellen looked worried and looked at Gerald, Will quietly picked up the tableware and ate, Scarlett was silently worried, but it was Su Ailun who couldn't stand it first and broke: "What is this? Will Karin is so stupid that she didn't turn around for a while, or I will persuade her to go now?" She still has a good impression of Will, and she also hopes to keep him in Tara.Scarlett glanced at her, isn't Su Allen annoying all the time.

"Miss Karin is a very persistent person in some matters." Will said, "She...let her make her own decision. I'm fine, sorry for worrying everyone."

An awkward silence.In the end, Ellen said: "Let's eat first, I'll go and see Karin." Then she nodded slightly, stood up and left the table, dragging the corner of her black skirt across the stairs.Not long after, there was a soft knock on the door upstairs, followed by a "squeak".

After hearing this sound, everyone felt a little relieved and continued to eat.

--------------

Ellen and Karin talked for almost two hours, but it was not until dinner that Karin appeared in front of everyone.Her eyes were still red and swollen, but she managed to smile, and she didn't dodge when she saw Will, and the two whispered a few words.

Scarlett couldn't guess what Ellen and Karin said, but after that Karin and Will got along without any embarrassment, and were even a few steps closer than before.Karin never mentioned the matter of becoming a monk again.Two months later, the two announced their engagement.

What Scarlett didn't know was that that day, Ellen, who was touched by her younger daughter's similar experience, knocked on Karin's door.She hugged Karin who was crying in panic, and listened to her intermittent and extremely guilty recounting of her unforgettable memories of Brent Tarleton, but what she remembered was a past that belonged to her.A secret that has been buried deep in my heart for several years.How the young Ellen fell in love with his profligate cousin Philip, and how the cousin was driven to the countryside and finally died in a duel. The last personal item before his death was a photo of Ellen!Heartbroken, Ellen is forced to leave her cousin's house, and she almost ends up at Charleston Abbey.But at that moment, the reckless Gerald came to propose.

This kind, big, rough, little Irishman can take her far away.The most precious jewel of the Robillard family was thus married to him, and the family could only reluctantly choose the latter between her becoming a monk and marrying Gerald.Ellen became Gerald's wife, came with him to Georgia, and bore him three daughters in the white house called Tara.No one knows that the young Ellen lost all joy and hope at the moment of his cousin's death, leaving Mr. O'Hara only a gentle and dignified body.She is the best wife and her heart is dead.The secret about cousin Philip was buried deep in the hearts of Ellen and Mammy, and would never be revealed to a third person.

Ellen stroked her little daughter's hair with an unusual sadness on her face.

Losing love is not everything in life, at least today, many years later, while Ellen O'Hara can't forget her cousin, her affection for Gerald and her love for her daughters are equally entrenched in her heart, and This is exactly what she who chose the monastery could not have - although at that time, in the eyes of Ellen, who was ashamed, there was really no difference between the two.

"Of course you can continue to think about him, Karin," Ellen said to her little daughter, pressing her cold fingers on her red eyelids from crying. "Honey, but don't make a hasty decision. Don't feel that life is hopeless." ...as long as you haven't given up, no one's death can take away hope."

Ellen's words were so soft, with a deep understanding that Karin didn't know where to come from, as if she had been through the exact same predicament before and then turned around and told her it wasn't that bad.Her look, tone, and gestures made it all convincing, and under Ellen's comfort, Karin gradually stopped sobbing and began to think seriously about her mother's words.Instead of rejecting Will with the monastery in order to keep thinking about Brent in a panic, she tried to think about what she could have besides Brent, the hope of life, and even the hope of love.The secret love that should have ended without a problem in the long years, because Brent's death stayed at the saddest moment, making it impossible for her to get out.Now, the mother handed her the hand.

"I will, Mom." Karin lowered her eyelashes and nestled her head into her mother's arms.She was so young and beautiful, and her mother quietly wiped away the tears of the past.

Everything is going in a good direction, and people's expectations have finally come true.Not long after, Karin, who let go of her defenses, accepted Will's pursuit.They got engaged one autumn day.