Continuation of "Gone with the Wind"

Chapter 110 Nine

"Hey, what are you looking at so engrossed?" Angela, who was sitting next to him, asked him curiously.

"Oh, it's nothing." Paul came back to his senses, "Do you know the man standing by the flower bed?"

"Which one?" Angela followed his eyes and looked over. That person you said? He is Mr. Bryan, the governor's personal doctor and campaign consultant. "

"Can a doctor still be a consultant?" Paul wondered about the political system in California.

"I don't know either. I heard from my father that he is very communicative. He came up recently and is a popular man in front of the governor. He didn't tell me what happened, and I'm not interested in listening." Angela said without interest Said, "Anyway, he came to my house for the first time, but I don't like him at all, I don't think he looks like a good person, look at the way he looks at other people, he is not decent at all."

Paul disagreed with her words.How can you tell that someone is not a good person as soon as you meet?The first impression is very important, but it doesn't mean it must be correct - although he also thinks that guy is not a good person, but for some reason, he feels that he has seen this person somewhere, and he has a very strange feeling towards him. familiar feeling.But this sense of familiarity does not bring peace of mind, but uneasiness, like the familiarity of a fish in a fish tank with a cat that wants to hunt itself.

The man seemed to have noticed the gaze on him, and turned his head to see who it was, Paul immediately turned his face away and pretended to be chatting with Angela, although he didn't know why he was so afraid of him: "Oh, yes, The private doctors are here, who is the governor?"

"Why are you boys interested in such boring things?" Angela complained, obviously she was tired of this topic.

"That's right, I shouldn't ask you girls such questions." Paul deliberately provoked her and said, "You won't understand this either." .He suddenly felt that he was very funny, how could he be afraid of such a person who didn't even have an impression?

"Stop looking down on people, do you think our northern girls are like you southerners?" Angela originally wanted to say, "It's stupid to close your eyes and listen", but she suddenly remembered that there were many girls from the south sitting on the table, so she changed said. "Well, the man over there talking to Miss Scarlett is Mr. Newton Booth, the current Governor of the Republican Party."

"Your governor's surname is Newton? Is he related to the guy who was hit by an apple on the head?" He didn't pay much attention to Angela's sarcasm earlier, but the last sentence caught his attention.

"I've said so much and you just remember an apple, are you sure you're listening to me?" Angela blushed with anger, "Her name is Newton, and her full name is Newton? Booth—but the name Newton It’s really easy to remember.” Although it was impolite to call her by his first name, she was amused as she spoke.

Scarlett met the governor when she was in Georgia, but this one is not as easy to deal with as Bullock before.After simply exchanging pleasantries with him, Scarlett made such a judgment.In her eyes, politicians are no different, just a bunch of fools who are bothered by frivolous things. Of course, they are not really stupid, they are pretending to be stupid.

For example, Scarlett put on a naive curiosity—in fact, she didn’t understand—asked something about the election, trying to talk about the southern nobles who were in prison and the gentlemen who supported the Democrats here. The influence of friends on next year's election campaign (if Deason hadn't reminded her that she really wanted to tell the whole story about Rhett), but he just talked about him and wanted to find out about her. "Miss O'Hara, this kind of thing is too boring for noble ladies like you. What's more, today is only a private gathering. It is only because I can meet an elegant and noble lady like you here that I am very interested in Walmont. Mr. Walmont's kind invitation is bound to be honored. In fact, since Mr. Walmont was transferred here from his lovely hometown of Boston, I have become close friends with him, but I am somewhat regretful that his wife has been known for a long time and has not had the honor to meet. Just met you today, I wonder if I have the honor to ask how you two met in Georgia and how you reunited their husband and wife?" Although he was talking to Scarlett alone, his voice was loud , everyone present heard it.

"Oh, Lao Bu, you're asking the wrong person. Of course, no one knows my wife's situation better than me. If you have any questions, you can ask me directly. Based on the friendship between the two of us, I'm sure You know everything and say everything.” Just when Scarlett was confused by such a diplomatic rhetoric, Deason stepped forward to help her out with a louder voice.Scarlett, who was out of everyone's attention, was pulled aside by Lanli.

"I'm sorry, Lanli, I seem to have caused trouble for Mr. Walmont." Scarlett was very disturbed.It's fine for her to show a false limelight in the territory of the northerners, but it's too much for her to feel bad that Lanli and Disson's past has become a political bargaining chip.

"It's nothing, don't worry about it. He has seen this kind of scene a lot, and he can handle it." Lan Li comforted her, "Anyway, no matter where we are, our lives are public topics, and it's strange that there are fewer people chewing on our tongues. .”

"But—" Scarlett wanted to say something, but Lanli had already left her and walked towards Deason and the governor.

"Honey, you're talking about me to Governor Booth, right? Of course you should ask me about this kind of thing. Mr. Governor, what do you want to ask?" Lan Li took the initiative to relieve the pressure on Deason.After their cooperation, the governor became the most difficult person to do, so he had to find a way for himself. "Haha, I just chatted casually with Miss O'Hara out of curiosity. Everyone has seen the love between the two of you. I just want to say, Mrs. Walmont, if I were a woman, I would be very jealous of you good luck."

Scarlett didn't have the "political sense" that people said, she just felt that the governor was really insidious and cheeky, but with a few words, she almost revealed her real situation, It almost made the past of Disson and Lanli public.She seldom cared about the life of the people in power before, but this time it was different: Originally, the matter between Dison and Lanli was just a private affair between the two of them, but because of her relationship, the two reunited. Together, she should have given blessings but didn't say so. She was still jealous that their reunion was based on the separation between her and Rhett, so she took their help for granted.But when they took the initiative to disclose this past to everyone in order to help her, the most unbearable person became Scarlett again.Fortunately, they didn't really do that.

Scarlett was thankful that she was out of the limelight.The feeling of the stars holding the moon is of course a kind of enjoyment for her, but she also knows the truth that the higher the praise, the worse the fall.She's been the party center for so long, now it's time for the real masters.

"I didn't expect to see you again in this place, Miss O'Hara. Do you remember me?" Just as Scarlett was walking around the dining table looking for something to fill her stomach, she suddenly heard someone greet her.

"Ah, it's you, Mr. Brian, and you're here too." Scarlett had already found something she wanted to eat, but she had to put it down again out of politeness. "By the way, thank you for helping me last time."

"It's nothing, it's my honor to help you." The corner of Brian's mouth pulled upwards——Scarlett could only describe his expression as "smile", and the smile that didn't reach the eyes made her feel uncomfortable. "It's the first time for me to come here. I didn't expect such a coincidence to meet a fellow from Georgia."

"I didn't expect that either." Scarlett could only regret that she didn't listen to Langli's advice to eat more in the morning, and hoped that she could send him away quickly. "You should have something important to come here, I won't bother you anymore."

"It's really nothing, but I was ordered to accompany Mr. Governor to a social gathering." I didn't expect him to talk so much, "You know, as a personal doctor, I sometimes also work as a secretary."

Scarlett wanted to leave him and go by herself, but the last sentence made her stop. "You said you were Mr. Booth's secretary?" She felt stupid after she finished speaking. She should have thought that it was not easy for people to attend such a party.

"No, it's my fault that I didn't make it clear. I only act as an agent of the secretary occasionally, and I'm mainly responsible for the governor's health." He took the trouble to explain, "Besides, Mr. Governor is so busy, why is he willing to hire only a part-time secretary?"

"Then you have worked so hard." Scarlett suddenly remembered that last time Disson gritted her teeth and scolded the governor as an ascetic. Wasn't it caused by him in front of her?But even though he is an ascetic monk, he is still an old fox. It seems that the governor was even more difficult to deal with before.

"Actually, it's all fine. It's nothing." Brian suddenly turned his head to the other side, looked behind Scarlett and said, "It's really rare. I didn't expect Mr. Pacheco to arrive."

Scarlett reacted immediately: "You mean the lieutenant governor, Jose? Antonio? Romualdo? Mr. Pacheco?"

"There are no more than 20 people who can remember this name in the entire state. I didn't expect you to remember it too." Brian looked at Scarlett with some surprise and said, "Do you know him?"

Scarlett shook her head.She remembered that Deason told her that although the governor and the deputy governor were both Republicans, the two had always been at odds with each other, and the deputy governor had been eyeing the governor's position.There are also factions within the state government, and open and secret struggles emerge in endlessly. Because Pacheco is not white but Latin, his status has not been recognized by local gentlemen. "Although anyone can sit in that position, there is no need for talent other than a mouth, and these two guys just pick one of the two rotten peaches that is not too bad, but I would rather support Pacheco because of his Race. Once he becomes the next governor, maybe he can appease the non-indigenous people and bring a little peace to the local area. But now it doesn’t work.” Deason also sent such a sigh at the time, because he had to change now The banner has changed.Scarlett didn't think so, and she remembered how hard it was for the Democrats to fight the Republicans to take back control of Georgia.In any case, it is much better for locals to manage locals than to catch a foreigner at random.