[Gone with the Wind] Back to the beginning

"Then what do you say money can't buy?"

Rhett's words suddenly awakened Scarlett from the pain of her previous life.For a while, she really didn't want to think about the pain of the past, the price she had paid for money, and the final betrayal and bruises all over her body.Now that she has been reborn, how wonderful it would be to get rid of those things completely!Scarlett changed the subject in a panic: "Stop talking about such boring things, Captain Butler, you—hey, you dance really well, there are very few big guys who can dance so well..."

"Don't try to get away, Miss O'Hara. You haven't answered my question yet." Rhett pursued, "You haven't told me what money can't buy?" He seemed to be provoking her, waiting Seeing her being stupid, and then laughing at her logically.There was a smile in the dark eyes.

Scarlett was so forced by him that she blurted out the words in her heart: "Oh, the lover can't buy it, right?"It's nice to be able to say what you really think, especially to Rhett.

The heroic captain's eyes flashed, and he complimented unhurriedly:

"Yes, Miss O'Hara, you really don't need to think about the serious question of 'can money buy a lover'... after all, you can 'buy' it with your charming dimples—well, Don't be angry, let me answer your question... Generally speaking, you can buy it, and even if you can't buy it, you can find the best substitute."

"It's really annoying." Scarlett felt irritated for a while, and Rhett's words came back to her ears: "It's much more cost-effective to spend money on Bell than on you."Can't help being very angry.However, Rhett didn't think it was enough, and continued to talk about those shameless remarks.Scarlett was furious, and her rivalry with Bell gained the upper hand. When she got angry, she blurted out the words without paying attention:

"Then how much do you think I can buy it for?"

Before she could retract her provocative gaze, she realized that she had said something wrong.Scarlett regretted it for a while, but she was unwilling to admit that she had fallen into a disadvantage by her slip of the tongue, and her face pretended to be calm.And Rhett couldn't stop laughing.

"You're so uneducated, Miss O'Hara—could you take Mrs. Wilkes's ring off your offer?"

"So he really intends to want me." "He just went to redeem Meili's ring." The two thoughts popped up almost at the same time. Scarlett was overjoyed, but her face was as cold as ice: "Don't That's nonsense. That's not something you should say to a lady." When he opened his mouth, he understood that he was going to laugh at her for not being a lady, and Scarlett immediately added: "Don't be presumptuous! At least here—at least I Gotta be a lady."

She has spoken out of line today, Scarlett thought, but if it weren't for Rhett, no one would say anything about her.After all, although she missed the leisurely and happy days in the South so much, Scarlett, who was used to talking and acting like a man, felt uncomfortable everywhere.A year is enough to make her look orderly again, but there is no way to relieve the restlessness in her heart.Until today when she spoke her true thoughts in front of Rhett, Scarlett almost forgot the joy of speaking freely!

Rhett laughed softly as he listened to her.He didn't tease her too much, and deliberately put on an elegant and solemn expression: "I'm just kidding, Miss O'Hara, please don't mind. I can't afford a lady like you." He kept talking Blinking at Scarlett, seeing that she was amused by the snort, she slowly added:

"But there is one thing that will buy any woman of any kind, and it won't cost a penny."

"Don't say 'buy', it's ugly and vulgar!—Are you talking about love? But it's not for nothing." Scarlett boldly*, implying, "Anyway, I must be equal —in return."

Rhett's dark eyes gleamed happily.

"We'll spare you talking about love with a man of disrepute—but Miss O'Hara," he paused, with a smile in his eyes, asked unhurriedly, "that noble Will How much did Mr. Kex give you in return to make you so determined?"

"...I should always remember that you are a complete villain!" Scarlett said angrily.

Rhett chuckled.

"But you are still dancing with this villain, isn't it exciting? Or are you just trying to bribe me? That's not enough, beauty." He deliberately lowered his voice for the last few words, which sounded full of provocative meaning.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Scarlett really felt that she couldn't speak. "It's just the little girl's old story. I've forgotten it a long time ago—you'd better forget it soon." stand up.

"No, I won't forget it. It's one of my dearest memories, to think of a green-eyed little Southern belle with her Irish temper..."

"That's enough of you! The waltz is over, can you let me go?"

"No, I will ask you to dance the next one. There will be another one, and another one... Just watch, maybe after five or six games, I will let other boys dance two more times." After all, people look at you with green eyes, but you have to dance with me for the last one. After all, Miss O'Hara's patriotism is unquestionable, and I am willing to pay a lot of money, am I not?"

"Captain Butler, you seem happy to trouble me?"

"To be more precise, I want to see how unlucky you are in trouble, and then help out by the way..."

"If you do this again, I will be angry."

"Really? I don't see it. You think it's unseemly for a 'lady' not to be angry at this moment?"

"Mr. Butler, if you're ever going to take pleasure in stinging people, I think you'll be without a partner very soon."

"So you admit it? That's very good. Well, I'm here to praise you. You are so frank that you dare to admit that you are not a lady. I really admire you. Well, you are happy to say that ?"

"There are villains for villains, Mr Pirate."

"So you just don't want to be a lady in front of me? Oh, I'm so happy."

He is always capable of misinterpreting her meaning, Scarlett stomped on his foot angrily: "Speak well!"

Rhett shrugged, pretending to be innocent: "I want to say that your eyes are like a pair of goldfish bowls. The green water is filled to the brim, waiting for the fish to float to the surface. It's so beautiful that people will be enchanted. Are you happy?"

"Enough, to hell with you and your flattery!"

"Miss O'Hara, I've seen the ghost more than once. That guy is so boring. . . I don't want to see him again, not for you. But then again," he said suddenly. Become calm and gloomy, "If you talk too much, you will slip out of your mouth. At that time, you will never be a lady again."

"Is he telling me to stay away from him?" Scarlett was very puzzled, "Forget it, what are you thinking about? I want to be with him anyway. But he seems to have mentioned this in his previous life , I didn’t take it seriously. Every time Rhett speaks the truth, he has a weird tone, either mocking or being careless, but as if trying to make people ignore him. I really don’t understand him.” She raised her head and smiled sweetly :

"You don't need to remind me, Captain Butler—this dance is over. Would you mind going to the window with me to enjoy some fresh air? I'm a little tired."

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At quiche the next morning, Aunt Pete was in tears, Melanie was silent, and Scarlett was absent-minded, figuring out how to make money.The taste of omelets in the mouth was so bland that it was difficult to swallow. Since the war, the price of goods has soared, and the price of salt has risen especially fast. Every family has begun to reduce the amount of salt used.

The conversation between Scarlett and Rhett yesterday about the price of salt was not a whim. In fact, she had already planned to make a fortune from the difference in the price of salt.I remember that in her previous life, after she and Ritter got married, she met a couple who were nouveau riche. That couple made their fortune by hoarding salt during the war.They triumphantly narrated their fortune history: in 1861, salt was one cent per pound, and by 1863 it had soared to fifty cents!Such an astonishing huge profit really made Scarlett, who has been crazy about money since her rebirth, jealous.But although she also bought some salt in advance, the profit of salt depends on the large base, where can I find so many places to store it!Although Scarlett tried her best to persuade Mammy to save some for her in the storage room, but she also used the reason of "preparing in advance so that it will not be used when it is time to come". How could Mammy promise her to sell salt to make money!

Scarlett counted the bits and pieces of salt she bought in the port city of Charleston the year before, and after deducting the household portion in the storage room, she could sell only about two hundred pounds—she tried every means to hide it. Of those that came down, a large part of them made it to Atlanta several times, mingling in Aunt Pitt's kitchen and in his own bedroom.Although old Peter was shrewd, he was not in charge of the kitchen after all.The cook is a foolish black guy, so Scarlett managed to save a lot of salt.Also, this is not a long-term solution.

"When will I go to the blockade office and get rid of these salts. Yes, there is also the matter of the cotton at home!" Scarlett's mind was spinning wildly.A black boy came in and handed a letter to Mei Li, but Scarlett couldn't care less, "Unfortunately, if we wait until next year to sell the salt, the price can go up a lot! But at that time, speculators were being cracked down everywhere. If she was accidentally discovered while selling salt, her reputation would be ruined. Mom will definitely be sad. But, can you ask Rhett to help?" Thinking of this, Scarlett's eyes lit up, and she wanted to slap the table excitedly, but He was shocked to hear Mei Li crying bitterly.

"Didn't Aunt Pete tell me that I shouldn't associate with Butler just now, and Merry was speaking for me? What's going on now?" Scarlett wondered.

"Ashley's dead!" Aunt Pitt screamed and passed out.

"No! No!" cried Melanie. "Scarlett, get her smelling salts! Are you feeling better, Auntie? It's not Ashley, sorry for scaring you—I'm so happy, I'm so happy." Happy!" She pressed the little golden thing to her lips, and tears rolled down, "Oh, he is so kind and cute!"

It turned out to be this thing!Scarlett found smelling salts and gave them to Mei Li, watching her frantically put them under Aunt Pete's nose, but she picked up the letterhead, which was unexpectedly written in Rhett's black and thick handwriting.A sly and sweet smile flashed between Scarlett's eyebrows, and she read softly:

"The Confederacy may need the blood of a man, but not the heart of a woman. Dear Madam, please accept this redeemed ring as my tribute to your deed. Don't think your sacrifice is worthless, because it The ring was redeemed at ten times the price. Captain Rhett Butler."

A smile broke out on Meili's tear-stained face, she finished comforting Aunt Pete, put the ring on her finger again, her eyes were full of love, she couldn't get enough of it, she turned to her aunt: "Tell you that he is a classy person! So considerate, so kind. No gentleman can't imagine how sorry I must be. Oh, Auntie, you must write him a letter! You must ask him to come over after dinner on Sunday, and let me thank him in person."

"He's not a high-class person, but he just wants to trick you into opening the door of your house." Scarlett thought happily to herself, and joined the excitement and joy of Merry and Aunt Pete.