[Gone with the Wind] Back to the beginning

Scarlett knew as well as Ellen about Tara's current financial situation, and it could even be said that she knew better than Ellen.

With Scarlett's efforts, Tara's functioning in this life is much better than in the previous life. Although there are a few extra black people and Catherine's rations, it is still better than the same period in the previous life.Adding in the money that Scarlett had saved before the war—she gave about one-third of the money to Ellen, so as not to appear too unusual, and there was no problem with paying a sky-high tax bill for the time being.

But the person who raises taxes for Tara—Scarlett certainly knows that Jonathan Wilkerson is deliberately embarrassing Tara. The former supervisor of Tara is determined to force Tara residents to fail to pay taxes and make Tara enter the auction.With him, even if Tara pays the tax this time, Jonathan can also raise the tax to a higher and more unimaginable level next time. This will be a bottomless pit!And they actually can't do anything except bear everything passively!

This deep sense of powerlessness instantly filled Scarlett's heart with burning anger, why!These guys can take away everything she has created with both hands with just one mouth!She couldn't bear this kind of thing no matter how many times!Those rebels, those Yankee Carbaggers, those Republicans, and that damned Freedmen's Bureau!The world has changed, everything has changed, honest labor is no longer properly paid, the Yankees treat the South as a conquered land, they take away the right to vote, they use military control and instigate blacks, and make laws at will!The two biggest villains in the Freedmen's Bureau are Jonathan Hilton, Tara's former supervisor, and the Hilton who married Catherine in the previous life.They were talking nonsense, but there was nothing Scarlett could do!War is not the end of suffering, the trouble is just beginning!And what can they do?

Unless, unless kill him!A cold and pleasant thought suddenly exploded in my heart, and the trembling and pleasure brought by the bloody smell of the Yankee corpse was conveyed to every pore of Scarlett's body, and the crazy thought kept clamoring in her heart.Yes, there is no other way!Her brain was thinking wildly and calmly, unless someone stepped forward, like Tony Fontaine in the previous life, and killed Jonathan Wilkerson!Yes, kill him!Only by killing him can the future troubles be eliminated forever, and Tara can restore peace!The way of killing is of course impossible to solve every Yankee, but Jonathan's hostility towards Tara cannot be relieved except death!As long as he died... as long as he died... unbelievable crazy thoughts stirred in her heart.It was precisely because Scarlett had killed the same Yankee twice, and her memory clearly pointed out that the only way to solve Jonathan's threat in her previous life, Scarlett, who had experienced the long years after the war and knew that the threat was terrible, would have such an idea, but !

"Scarlett!" A call brought her back from madness to sobriety, but an undisguised and ruthless "Kill him" has spit out from her mouth.Scarlett raised her head suddenly, meeting Ashley's eyes just in time.

The sweat from the forehead of the man she had admired when she was young was dripping on the back of his hand.He wore a pair of rough army trousers and Gerald's old shirt.The coat has been taken off, and it is hanging on a branch beside it, perhaps for the convenience of work.He was in rags and had an ax in his hand.He looked out of place with these cumbersome farm work, with blond hair that was slightly dull after being exposed to the hot sun, and gray eyes that might be the last shadow of the past, but at the moment they were full of consternation and worry.

"What did you just say! Scarlett!" His voice was stern.

Before she knew it, she had reached the orchard, where Ashley was chopping wood.Scarlett hadn't quite come out of the emotion just now, and Ashley's tone was stern, she opened her mouth subconsciously and said, "Jonathan——Jonathan Wilkerson." Then her green eyes widened.

"What's going on?" Ashley dropped the ax and walked over to her with obvious concern in his eyes.He took off the hanging coat and put it on her, "Scarlett, what happened?"

Scarlett stared at him for a moment, then told everything quickly and quickly.Now that he had heard it, well, anyway, she didn't love him in this life, and she didn't care.A few words, dry and blunt, soon made Ashley frown, but he didn't say a word.

So she had no choice but to speak up.

"Oh, Ashley," Scarlett said, "such a large sum of money—even if Jonathan decides to target us this time, what about the next time, and the next time? It's terrible, and I can't help it." Think about it." Her froze brain pointed out the fact that if Tony Fontaine hadn't killed Jonathan in her previous life, she wouldn't have been able to deal with this problem at all in her previous life.How ironic, she tried her best to die of exhaustion on the ground, but someone could beat her so easily that she couldn't turn over!

"What should we do," she whispered.

Ashley put his hand on her shoulder, but looked away, as if looking at a distant land, which Scarlett could not see.

"I was wondering," Ashley said, "I was wondering what to do with not just Tara's family, but the whole South."

To hell with anything else!Scarlett cried in her heart, I want Tara!Who can take care of others!

"Whenever a civilization is destroyed, history always repeats itself. The brave survive and the foolish get eliminated. It's uncomfortable to witness this 'end of the gods', but at least it's fun - unfortunately What’s more, we in the south do regard ourselves as gods.”

"For God's sake," Scarlett finally regained some strength, "Ashley Wilkes, don't talk to me about these things! If you don't think of a way, you can only watch Tara get eliminated!"

That terrible thought came back to his heart, as if there was nothing he could do but kill Jonathan.

Her hopeless and weary look finally touched him and pulled him back from his reverie.He took her hands tenderly, turned them over, and looked at the calluses in his palms.

"I've only seen such a pair of beautiful people in my life," said Ashley, kissing lightly on each palm. "This hand is beautiful because it is strong, and every callus is a medal. Scarlett, every Blisters are your reward for being brave and selfless, and they got thicker for all of us, for your parents, for your girls, for Melanie, for little babies, for black people, and for me. Honey, I know what you're thinking. You're in Think, look at this unrealistic fool, who does not care about the danger of the living, but talks about dead gods! Isn't it?"

Scarlett nodded.

And Ashley talked about irrelevant topics.

"I'm no good for the world, Scarlett, because the world I belonged to doesn't exist anymore. I brace myself and learn to be a poor farmer, but I know I'll never learn that in my life. You Think I don't understand where I'm at, that our family depends on you? Oh, Scarlett, I'm so ashamed. I can never repay you in my life for what you've done for our family, every day This feeling deepens, and every day I understand more how powerless we are to the disaster that befalls us. I'm damned, but I survived, and then I can't fight the new reality - that's my Achilles' heel. In other words, I'm a coward."

"Ashley——" Scarlett didn't know how to comfort her, but she always hoped that Meili's husband would cheer up, "Don't be like this Ashley, ah, did Meili tell you? I rented your A shop, you don't live here for nothing..."

But Ashley didn't answer her, perhaps because they both knew it was pointless.

"Scarlett, I'm different from you." He said, "You are as brave as a lion, and you are so enthusiastic and full of life, which is really enviable. And what about me? Now I have nothing but broken dreams and morals." Left—by the way, did you just say you were going to kill Jonathan Wilkerson?"

Why did the topic suddenly return to the beginning, Scarlett subconsciously said: "Yes." At the same time, she was surprised by Ashley's ordinary attitude.

"That's right." Sure enough, he returned to the look that couldn't be farther away from her, "Scarlett, this is not a wise decision, we can't finish killing the Yankees, but now it seems that the only way to solve the problem at hand is to kill him road."

"Ashley!" Scarlett called his name tremblingly, her eyes widened, and at the same time, she recalled like a flash, what she heard from Tony when he fled to Atlanta after killing Jonathan on that rainy night in the previous life!

"Ashley also wanted to kill him, but I said that Sally is my sister-in-law, and I should do it." Fontaine said.

Oh my god!Things suddenly took a turn that she didn't want to see, and Scarlett shouted anxiously: "Think about Meili! Ashley, you can't do stupid things!" I had forgotten who mentioned it in the first place Thought——Perhaps her earliest plan was that if Jonathan didn't die under Tony's gun like in the previous life, she would kill him with a gun in her hand.

Compared with her panic and anxiety, Ashley seemed much calmer.

"Why not, Scarlett. It's fitting, because I'm going to take Merry and the baby with me."

"Go?" Scarlett forgot even the first sentence. "Where are you going? Tara! Oh no Ashley, you can't go!"

Ashley suddenly became excited.

"If I had any sense of shame, I shouldn't allow myself to be dependent on others for support. Scarlett, of course I understand that you are kind enough to take us in, but I can't just pretend to be ignorant and accept it." I have to go. I've thought about it for a long time. Although Twelve Oaks is destroyed, Atlanta can always borrow it. If it doesn't work, I can work elsewhere-I can't live on you, I can't let my wife , My child is supported by others, since I am not dead." He whispered, "Scarlett, don't be sad, and don't think about it, I'm serious, and I plan to do the same if you don't tell me this today. I I have to take Meili away. Well, since our family is going to go far away, I think—” He looked at Scarlett and smiled, “Give Jonathan a shot before leaving, and barely repay you one ten thousandth of your kindness, always It can be done."

His tone was so calm, but how could Scarlett fail to see the despair and pain in his eyes - he was desperate for the crazy world and his inability to adapt, so he had to kill that Jonathan, make a little contribution, and count as death It also happens to remove mental pain.

"Ashley!" Scarlett could only call out his name, as if she couldn't mobilize other words, "Ashley, Ashley!" At this moment, she finally saw this man— —He has an indestructible spirit. "Ashley!"

"Don't go, at least not now, and don't kill him." Scarlett said, "You have to consider Mei Li's body, and Xiao Bo is too small. If you kill Jonathan, you are a wanted criminal. You can't take Mei Li Li and Xiaobo are wanted."

Ashley's face froze for a moment, but Scarlett knew that his determination had been pulled.People always have so many scruples, Ashley committed the crime of exile for the sake of justice, and he lost half of his soul after the war, and it was just a pain to live, but it was impossible for him to drag Meili's body. take risks.He smiled wryly.

"Scarlett—"

"No, Ashley." Scarlett stopped him.She squatted down, slowly grabbed a handful of red soil wet after the rain from the ground, and smiled at him, "But thank you anyway."

"I can do it—Scarlett O'Hara will never be beaten."

Ashley watched her turn away, lift her feet across the rough fields, straighten her thin shoulders as she walked, and thought to himself that Scarlett O'Hara was the bravest person he had ever seen, by her own courage. Dare to fight against the world.