Continuation of "Gone with the Wind"

Chapter 25 Contract Couples

"What, what's wrong with my business?" Scarlett became nervous when her business was mentioned.She immediately jumped out of the bed and rushed to Rhett with one step, her green eyes fixed on him tightly, and her palms were sweating.

"You can't care about anything other than business? Even if it's just pretending to care. Poor kid Jack, he's your ward." Rhett looked at her mockingly, showing a row of shiny white teeth .

"Forget it. What's the use of caring if you have no money? Do you want my children to go hungry with me?" Scarlett wanted to say that I care about you most, but she swallowed the words again.She can no longer confess her love to Rhett casually, otherwise Rhett will not believe it, but will only stare at her with pity.In order to show her sense of responsibility, she added the following sentence.

"That's quite the truth." He looked at her approvingly, "Then my words will be much easier to say. The federal government recently passed a new law that stipulates that silver coins can no longer be used as legal payments except for the five-dollar silver coin." Yes. Georgia has approved it, not to mention the military-occupied zone in Charleston. With your business sense, you should know what the consequences of this decree will be."

"Let them do what the Yankee government likes to do. It's none of my business. If the silver coins are no longer usable, just replace them with gold coins." Scarlett didn't take this matter too seriously.

"That's the most direct and most appropriate way," he laughed. "Then you'd have to go back to Atlanta and Tara. See, I said you wouldn't stay here long."

"Don't be complacent, I'll be back." She looked at Rhett.

"It's hard to say, I'm afraid you will never come back in your life. Didn't your Uncle Henry tell you that I no longer send money to Atlanta?"

"What? You can't do that. You can't use my money!" she screamed.When you think of that big house on Peachtree Street that required tons of coal for the fire, and hired servants to clean, cook, wash, garden, tend the horses, clean the carriages, and feed a large family—well, that cost What a lot of money!How can Uncle Henry pay the bills?Use her money!No, you can't do that.She had worked in the fields on an empty stomach, in worn-out shoes, with a broken back and bloody hands, just to earn a living.She had also thrown away her self-respect and all her education to do business with contemptuous and low-minded people, to play tricks, to cheat, to work day and night, just to make money.She would never give up the money, she couldn't.That's hers!Her only lifeblood. "Be quiet. I won't let you go if you wake up the others." Rhett lowered his voice and threatened her. "I didn't use your money, but I didn't give you any more. You're in Charleston now. , of course I have no reason to pay for an empty house. I remember you said that those servants were recruited by you to Tara. Is my money going to support Ashley? Wilkes, or you Those Yankee friends?"

Scarlett really didn't want to talk about Ashley with him, and they would inevitably quarrel. "I've already kicked out those people." She said calmly, without Ashley being involved.

"Including your beloved Ashley? Where is your unyielding love? Where is your sense of responsibility? You will not forget Miss Meili's entrustment before her death, right?" He lit another cigarette, The smoke hung over his face, and Scarlett could not see his expression clearly, but she could imagine that it was his frequent mockery, which really made her unbearable.

"I didn't drive him away, he left by himself. Meili asked me to take care of him without letting him know, I didn't know what to do. Later he came to me on his own initiative and told me that he was going to work in the north. I originally I didn’t agree—don’t look at me like that, I’m just fulfilling Mei Li’s last wish—but he insisted on leaving, and I don’t know what he was thinking. He said that only if he left, could he be considered as hurting me. He made up for it, and said that you can clear up your misunderstanding about me only when he is gone. He just asked me to take good care of Xiaobo, saying that he would pick him up after his life stabilized. This is what you forced me to say, not me I took the initiative to say it. You don’t really stop sending money, do you?” Right now, this is the most important matter.

"Of course it's true, dear." After the smoke cleared, she found that his expression was still so calm. "But as long as you are willing to go back, I am willing to continue sending money. The house can even be registered in your name. How about it?"

"You, well, you win. I'll go back tomorrow." She reluctantly agreed.

"Although I wish for this, you can't go back immediately. Now Charleston people have a good impression of you and Jack, and it is easy to cause suspicion if you leave now. So I decided to negotiate a deal with you. In the coming In Social Season, we're co-starring as a loving couple, and you can play as much as you want, but keep Jack in check. Once Social Season is over, you act like you can't wait to get back to Atlanta—or Tara, Anyway, as you like-no further steps in Charleston. To make this seem more natural, I will also temporarily leave Charleston after the social season is over. In the meantime, you need to find a lawyer and draw up a separation. I will sign the agreement. As a reward, I can give you 5 gold coins."

Scarlett thought she had heard wrong, she could stay and leave after the social season?Heck, that's two months.She is confident that no man can spend so long with her without falling in love with her, not even Rhett.Thinking that she could regain Rhett's heart, her whole face lit up with excitement.

"Don't be delusional, Scarlett." Rhett looked at her radiant face mockingly, "I'm not a fool to create opportunities for others to take advantage of. My condition is that you have to convince my mother that we have separated rooms. Sleeping is because of my snoring. In the past two months, you must try to behave like a real lady, and if you flirt to seduce other men, you must leave immediately."

"You don't need to remind me of this. I am a lady." Scarlett said coldly on purpose, "I accept your terms." Although house allocation is a fly in the ointment, she must have other ways.

"Well, I always like to talk about one thing before another, and now we can talk about your ward." Rhett stared at her face and said, "Don't you know anything about Jack?" ?”

"I asked him, but he said he didn't remember, what can I do?" Scarlett stared back at him, "Aren't you always good at dealing with children, why don't you ask him yourself?"

"You still haven't made much progress in seeing people." Rhett showed a mocking expression again, "You don't really think that he is a child who is no different from ordinary children?"

"Of course I know." She stared at him angrily, "He can steal account books and understand them; he can also see my illness and know what medicine to buy; Follow the rules. But so what? Just a smarter kid."

"I went to St. Francis to redeem our family's ancestral silverware." He suddenly changed the subject, "I saw a lot of Chinese, all of whom were hired to repair the railway. They look similar to Jack , all have black hair and black eyes, but Jack’s skin is much fairer than theirs. Few of them understand English, and many of them can’t even recognize all 26 letters.”

"You don't think Jack is that Chinese laborer, do you?" Scarlett stared at him strangely, "How could those people hire such a young child? Besides..."

"You're right, you have to be over 16 years old to be a Chinese laborer, but he's too young, no one dares to hire him. And even if someone dares to hire him, even if those jobs are too hard for people to do, he can't bear it , how could it be possible to run so far to Charleston and faint in the monastery?"

"I'm asking you. Why did you ask me back? I've never been to St. Francis."

"That's right. Those Chinese workers are almost like talking machines. Their treatment and education are not as good as those of the black slaves before the war. But Jack is obviously much better than them. His pronunciation is very standard, and he can't hear it unless he listens carefully. The northern accent in it. His upbringing and politeness even surpassed many children from upper-class families in Charleston. Of course there is an element of acting in it, but if he has not received strict education, he will not be able to act. And The most important point is that those Chinese workers without exception have a stupid long braid on the back of their heads, which is like a string on a puppet. I don’t think you are so ignorant that you don’t know that the Manchu government in China stipulates that men regardless of size Must have braids."

"Of course I know this. I learned it when I was in a girls' school. I also know that you are not allowed to cut off that braid until you die, or you will be executed. I really don't know how there is such a stupid government in the world. Regulation."

"Then why doesn't he have braids? Is a child so bold that he would risk his life?"

"You should ask him that," Scarlett told him, wondering why Rhett was so interested in a child.

"That child is very thoughtful, and she won't easily tell others what's on her mind." He looked at her and said, his tone was somewhat cautious and uneasy for some reason, "I think you still remember that you were like a Bagong this morning. Just like rummaging through his poor property, he just came back from the outside."

"So what? Anyway, he doesn't know what I'm doing." Even though she said that, she was not at ease.

"Aren't you too stupid to see it?" Rhett always likes to laugh at her, "You didn't see his expression at that time, he was as pitiful as an abandoned kitten or puppy. When you find out , He has returned to normal. It can’t be said that it is normal, it can only be said that it is what you want to see.”

"Then what should I do? You make him look like a conspirator, I dare not let him stay by my side anymore."

"A woman who can resist Sherman's army is afraid of a child. It's an anecdote. You won't be afraid, right?" His ridicule was clear, just like the teeth he was showing at this time, seeing Scarlett's face gloomy again When he got down, his voice suddenly became gentle again: "Don't worry, baby, he won't do anything to you. After all, he is nothing more than a child. A lovable child, a child who is too mature , a child that no one can guess except himself. You obviously only adopted one child, but you have three children. Buy one and get two free, it’s a good deal.”

She had long been accustomed to his ridicule, so she ignored it.All the doubts about Jack flooded into her mind, echoing crisply like pearls falling on the ground. She always wanted to find a silk thread to thread them but couldn't find it.Seeing her uncommonly frustrated look, Rhett smiled happily.It really annoyed her.She simply put the matter aside as before and think about it tomorrow.

She regained her former majesty, and said to Rhett: "I will take care of him, you can rest assured. I hope you will not forget our agreement, let me have fun, otherwise I will change all the silverware at home." It won’t leave even if it becomes scrap copper and rotten iron.”

"Mrs. Butler, your husband's affection will make you the most envied woman in Charleston," he said glibly.Then he changed his tone and said calmly: "It's getting late, you can rest. Good night, dear." Rhett opened the door and returned to his bedroom.

Lying on the spacious bed, Scarlett felt much better.It occurred to her that she could let Uncle Henry and Will handle the silver exchange instead of doing it herself.For two months, she could play as much as she wanted.The beautiful clothes she brought finally came into use, and she didn't believe that Rhett would not be tempted.It's just that there is no way to take Jack away. Will something happen if he is left alone at home?This made her uneasy.