Continuation of "Gone with the Wind"

Chapter 34 Mother's Funeral

It was already early summer, and the heat of the sun was gradually increasing, but Scarlett felt that the air in the carriage was as cold as if it had been frozen.Not only the air, but even the wheels are frozen, otherwise why is it so slow?Rhett spread out a newly bought newspaper leisurely as if nothing had happened, and read it, without looking in the direction of Scarlett or Ashley.Scarlett didn't dare to go to see him or to see Ashley or even Little Beau. Fortunately, there was Paul there, so she restrained her urge to jump off the train and greeted him.It’s just that Paul seems to have lingering fears about her iron teeth and copper teeth yesterday, he dared not respond to her excessive concern and had to respond, like a slow typing machine. Scarlett asked three questions and he couldn’t answer one, so the whole trip The journey has become a one-man show in which Scarlett asks and answers by herself.

When it was finally there, Scarlett breathed a sigh of relief.She frantically went to get her suitcase, but Rhett had grabbed it for her first, so Scarlett had to get out of the car empty-handed.She pretended to be looking for someone to pick her up and stopped, wanting to wait for Ashley and Xiao Bo to go a little further before following along with Rhett, but Rhett had already seen through her trick and grabbed her roughly. Her arms were about to take her in the direction of Ashley.Just as she was about to scream out, she met Rhett's calm and indifferent eyes, freezing all her movements.Just when she was desperate, she heard a familiar voice from beside her: "My God, Scarlett, why are you still standing here, get in the car." She recognized that it was Will's usual calm voice , and immediately boarded the carriage as quickly as a criminal who has received an amnesty escapes from the execution ground.Just wanted to order Will to go quickly - she couldn't care about Ashley and Beau right now, and she was still thinking about how to explain this to Rhett, but she didn't know what was going on, she really wanted her Explaining that she couldn't say a word - she saw Will drive the car to the place where Ashley stopped, urging the hesitant him to get in the car quickly.She knew then that it was Will who had called Ashley back.She really wanted to yell at Will that he was meddling in his own business and doing nothing to help, of course she understood that Will was doing it right, and asked Ashley to come back to read the eulogy, just like when Gerald died before, but she was afraid. Rhett doesn't understand and thinks wildly. Now her relationship with Rhett is as precarious as a person stepping on a wire rope with one foot, but at least it still maintains a fragile balance.But when Ashley came, she didn't even have the possibility to stand on one foot, and she was sure to fall, but she didn't know how badly she would fall.

Scarlett sat in the car with a stiff expression, her eyes did not look at any place in the car, but decisively cast out the window.She just wanted to find a place to bury herself so she wouldn't have to suffer Rhett and Ashley's questions and answers.Rhett's question sounds plain at first, it's nothing more than polite remarks about where you've been and how you've been these past few months, but Scarlett understands that there's a mystery hidden in it, he wants to get out of Ashley's recent The real situation, find out whether he still has contact with himself.Ashley's answer was honest, all of which were place names she hadn't heard of, but Rhett knew it very well, and would use "Oh, I've been to that place too." from time to time to cheer him up.It's impossible to go on like this, when Ashley will be fine but she won't be able to tell, but she can't intervene at all, because she can't even figure out the geographical location of those places.Maybe it's better that way, she doesn't know anything, at least she doesn't know, but Rhett thinks she's acting?Otherwise, she pretended to know something and inserted a few words?This seems more natural, and it can clarify to Rhett that he doesn't know those places, and prove that he really has no contact with Ashley, but if she shows too much interest in this topic, will Rhett think that Did she want to go to those places because of her old love for Ashley?Oh, what should I do? Facing a thoughtful and suspicious guy like Rhett, she has nothing to do.But anyway, you have to turn your head back from the outside first, otherwise it will only make Rhett feel guilty.She really wonders why she automatically loses when she faces Rhett now. To be more precise, she has never won a confrontation with him since she met him, but she will not admit defeat like now ah.

"Because I really fell in love with him." She easily found an explanation for her behavior in her heart, "So now I am afraid that I will make him unhappy, because he is more important than anything in my heart. Because I love him Just as carefully as he once loved me, I am afraid that I will be rejected by him until I get nothing in the end, because we are all people who pay attention to reciprocation." This last point made her feel a little calmer, Rhett said they It's the same kind of person, but she didn't really understand what it meant until today.

"But it can't go on like this." She reminded herself sharply, "I have to find a way to let him understand my intentions, and let him accept it. No matter what method I use, I have to let him come back to me. Even if it means sacrificing his dignity. He can laugh as long as he wants to, I don’t care.” She clenched her fists tightly, and the strong fighting spirit was burning in her eyes again. This expression made Ashley, who accidentally caught her eye, suddenly shudder. Startled, then sighed for no reason.Rhett's originally calm expression also became turbulent because of her sudden clenched fist and the scene she turned her head to see, but before she realized it, it became calm again.

Will stopped the carriage, and Scarlett was the first to jump off regardless of her image and safety, and ran towards the white house.She didn't bother to look at the corn that was about to ripen in the field, the black laborers in the fields with their mouths gaping in amazement at her madness and disheveled clothes, and the strange vines that bloomed in the newly cleared red fields. New varieties of plants with flowers she'd never seen before, and instead of looking at the unusually sad and grave expressions on the faces of Pork and Dilsy and Prissy who came out to greet her, she had only eyes for Mammy.

Suellen was lying on her bed as a matter of course because of her labor. Scarlett ignored her and the children who were sitting in a circle downstairs listening to Jack's stories. She rushed directly into the nanny's room, but was The sight in front of him was stunned.

Mammy didn't lie on the bed as she expected, she stood in her room like a huge iron tree, making the whole room look a lot smaller.Scarlett had never seen such a tall and burly nanny. She was frightened, and instinctively took a few steps back, but bumped into Rhett who followed her into the door.Rhett put his hands on her trembling shoulders and comforted her softly; "Don't be afraid, Scarlett, she is your nun." This sentence gave her courage, and she stopped backing and turned to her. Quickly walked over.Rhett didn't follow, and stood at the door quietly watching everything in front of him.

Mammy's eyes regained their clarity before, but they no longer had the sparkle of wisdom. Now she is as ignorant and innocent as a baby who has just opened her eyes, as if she has returned to her childhood.A flame that was about to be extinguished was peacefully burning in her eyes, and the whole face was illuminated by it, shining a youthful brilliance.Scarlett understands that this is just a flashback, the sun of a person's life is about to set, and she is painting her last warm and brilliant colors in the mountains.She stretched out her hand cautiously, trying to help Mammy sit down, but Mammy stubbornly knocked her down.Mammy turned her head, the flame in her eyes forced her back with an unapproachable heat.She watched Mammy staggering to the door, but Rhett didn't stop her, but kindly let her out.He ignored Scarlett's silent protest and gestured for her to follow Mammy.She walked to the door and watched in horror as Mammy walked down the stairs dangerously in a posture that might fall at any time, causing the children to widen their eyes in amazement, and even forgot to listen to the story.Jack put down the book and looked at Mammy. His eyes were full of sadness, reluctance and guilt. His black eyes were shining brightly, as if they were filled with tears that would roll down if he was not careful, but he finally didn't cry, but Is watching all this silently.The children followed Mammy out, but he remained in the house.Scarlett glared at him, and dragged him to the gate, which was slowed down by him.Rhett walked last, and no one could see his expression clearly.

By the time Scarlett ran to the gate, Mammy had gone out, on to Tara's red fields.All the people stopped working and stared at her silently.Scarlett wanted to chase out, but she saw Ashley who had been staying outside slowly walked up to Mammy, put his hand on her forehead like a devout priest, and started a conversation with her who is but them and God. Also inaudible dialogue.Mammy gradually calmed down, a smile appeared on her childlike face for the first time, the flames in her eyes bloomed enthusiastically like roses, and then quickly extinguished, with a satisfied smile on her face, like the earth that was finally pushed down Slowly fell into Ashley's arms like a wall.Scarlett couldn't bear it anymore, ran over, pushed Ashley away, and hugged Mammy's body warmed by the sun tightly in her arms, crying like a jerk A child who lost his favorite toy.

After an unknown amount of time, Scarlett felt that the heat of the sun was slowly disappearing, and the body in her arms gradually became colder. She raised her hazy tearful eyes and saw that a few dark clouds had quietly covered the sun.She hurriedly wiped away the tears that stayed on her cheeks, and found someone to bury Mammy before the rain fell.Then she ran to Ashley who had returned to the crowd, suppressed her grief and asked Mammy what she had said to him in a trembling voice.Ashley gave her a deep look, looked round the mourning crowd, and said, "She said, 'How are you doing, Miss Ellen? I hope you find your Philip. Gerald Mr. De, may God bless you to be happy.'" Everyone showed puzzled expressions, except Rhett who was standing aside, his expression was full of surprise as if he had been stabbed by a needle; Jack, his expression didn't change at all, his unchanging sadness seemed to have known something for a long time.Scarlett remembered the secret she revealed to Mammy when she was sick, and she must not let anyone else know, so she immediately ignored this sentence pretending not to care: "What else did she say?" Ashley shook Shaking her head: "There is nothing." "How is it possible? I don't believe it." As long as she can divert everyone's attention, she doesn't care if she behaves like a shrew at this time. "It's really gone. Except..." Ashley seemed to see her thoughts, and he hesitated to speak. "What?" Scarlett didn't know that Ashley was helping her to divert everyone's attention. She thought that Mammy really said something again, and the eagerness on her face was clear. "She also said, 'God bless you forever, my Miss Scarlett'." Scarlett exclaimed, lifted her skirt and ran towards the place where Mammy fell.Ashley sighed inconspicuously, his gray-blue eyes full of guilt and atonement relief.Rhett had been staring at him since the first sentence he spoke to Scarlett, and now he smiled faintly as if he had discovered something.