1986: My Happy Life in Provence

Chapter 2 An Unforgettable Dinner

[A comfortable nap increases happiness by 1 points]

Ronan immediately brought up a light blue translucent interface.

[Level 1 Construction: 0\100]

[Level 1 Planting: 0\100]

[Level 1 Collection: 0\100]

[Usable experience: 13]

In the previous month, his only way to gain [happiness] was to sleep.

But you need to get more than 8 hours of sleep to get 1 point. Just taking a nap here for a few minutes can give you 1 point?
So how much happiness will you get if you lie down on the bed and sleep soundly for 8 hours?

This idea made Ronan very excited, as if he had accidentally discovered a treasure.

However, this joy disappeared immediately after he entered the farmhouse to take a look.

There were dense spider webs, dust and garbage everywhere, and the furniture was not very complete.

Ronan even began to wonder if he could not even keep his pitiful 1 point of [Happiness] if he slept here:

"It will take quite some time to live a happy life."

Inside the farmhouse.

The first floor consists of a living room, a dining room that can accommodate more than a dozen people at the same time, an open kitchen, a bathroom and a bedroom.

It was called a bedroom, but it was actually a storage room filled with old and moldy junk. Ronan took only a glance and then closed the door. Time was limited, so the first floor was not included in today's cleaning scope.

The second floor consists of three bedrooms and two bathrooms.

Ronan simply cleaned a bedroom with a bathroom inside and hurried out to Louis's house.

Louis said that the village of Lourmarin was centered on the old church and slowly spread out like a snail shell. Only when Ronan really stepped into the village did he realize that his home was not within the scope of the "snail shell".

The closer to Louis's house, the denser the residents are. Some of the rows of houses behind Louis' house are already connected into a row, which is completely different from his home where "the land is vast and the population is sparse".

The person who opened the door for Ronan was Louis' wife, Leah, a beautiful lady with tanned skin, a thin figure but looking very healthy.

After Ronan introduced himself and handed her the red wine he had brought all the way from Paris as a gift, Leah warmly welcomed him in:

"Come in, they are all waiting for you."

they?

Ronan's first reaction was Louis's two children, but when he saw a dozen sets of knives and forks neatly placed on the huge dining table covered with a beautiful tablecloth, he realized that things were definitely not that simple.

Louis, holding a glass of wine, appeared out of nowhere:

"Look who's here, it's our new neighbor!"

Almost instantly, Ronan was surrounded.

A dozen strangers greeted him with open arms and gestures.

Why do we say "baring fangs and claws"?
Because these people were really getting started, some of them patted Ronan on the back, some lined up to give him cheek kisses, and one grey-haired man hugged him directly.

The last time Ronan had physical contact with so many people at the same time was during a strike march in Paris, but at that time these people's target was not him, but the government.

This situation was a bit too enthusiastic for Ronan, who had received oriental education since childhood.

Are there actually French people who like physical contact so much?

A young woman in her early twenties, wearing a white sweater, brown tweed pants, and long blond hair, handed Ronan a glass of colorless liquid:
"I hope you like it here."

This person had a pair of light blue eyes that you would never forget once you saw them, and Ronan swore that he would never complain if she made physical contact with him, but unfortunately, this was the first time the two of them met since entering the house.

Seeing that Ronan didn't take the wine, the girl blinked and said jokingly:

"Don't Parisian men drink aniseed? Do they compete with ladies for liqueur?"

"Thank you." Ronan took the wine and introduced himself, "Ronan." "Zoe." Zoe pointed at Louis with her chin, "My father said you are from Paris. Are you used to the wine we drink here? I was just joking just now. If you are not used to it, I can get you pink wine. It tastes better."

In 1986, most Chinese people in France lived in a few neighborhoods in Paris.

Ronan guessed that most of the neighbors present were attracted by his skin color.

Moreover, the Provencals also have obvious "prejudice" against the Parisians. Although they are all French, they are treated as foreigners.

Paris is not the only victim of this; fishermen in Maine, USA, treat New Yorkers in the same way, and farmers in Yorkshire, UK, treat Londoners in the same way.

Now with the double buff of yellow skin and Parisian, one can imagine what kind of image Ronan has in these people’s minds.

Although they try their best to restrain themselves, they still occasionally reveal some "suspicion".

But Ronan started drinking secretly at the age of 10, and now he is in his twelfth year of drinking.

But aniseed wine.
Aniseed liquor is a type of liquor made with aniseed oil and distilled liquor as the main ingredients. When drinking, first add ice cubes and then add five times the amount of water. It is usually transparent in color, but there are also light yellow, yellow and green aniseed liquors. It is very popular on the Mediterranean coast.

Ronan drank it a few times in Paris and couldn't say he liked it because it tasted a bit astringent.

But in order to quickly get rid of the label attached to him, he took a big sip:

“I love ouzo.”

Ronan was quite surprised by the feeling when he took a sip. It was very different from the taste he had in Paris and it was actually quite delicious.

[Taste authentic anise liquor to increase happiness by 1 points]

Ronan was shocked beyond words. Is this even possible?
Opposite him, Zoe smiled and said:
"I'm glad you like it. I hope you'll like the authentic country food next time."

Soon, the Provencals taught Ronan another lesson.

It was a meal Ronan would never forget.

No, several meals to be exact.

Virtuous Leah had almost set the table before everyone sat down.

Ronan counted and found that there were ten kinds of cold dishes.

Black olives, fried sardines, salted cod with cream, mushrooms marinated in cheese, baby squid, onions with fresh tomato sauce, sausages, pickled red peppers in olive oil, celery with basil beans, and glacéed fruit.

In the middle of the table, the bread was baked to a crispy and fragrant texture, the kind that made you want to eat a whole loaf just by looking at its color.

The first course was lamb chops. Ronan had just wiped the plate clean with bread when the second course arrived, a large pizza covered with caviar and cheese.

Then came hare pie, chowder, beef stew, fish stew.
[Increase happiness by 1 point when tasting cream cod]

[Taste delicious rabbit meat and increase happiness by 2 points]

[Increase happiness by 1 point when tasting fresh seasonal vegetables]

[Increase happiness by 1 point by tasting freshly baked pizza]

Ronan kept hearing the reminder sound in his ears.

Tonight was definitely a fruitful night, in every aspect!

"Ingredients are scarce in winter. Are you used to eating them?" Leia asked Ronan about his dining experience for the umpteenth time.

"Very good!" Ronan swallowed the last bite of beef stew with difficulty and raised his glass. "Thank you for your hospitality, Ms. Leah."

Thank you for letting me know that eating and drinking can also be a 'happy thing'. I ate and drank in Paris for a month and never heard a single reminder sound.

Ronan has already begun to imagine the happy future of eating his way into the world.

The men at the table started smoking, and the women talked about the market in the next village. Ronan guessed that dinner was over, and his stomach really couldn't bear any more "happiness".

Just as he was about to check how much happiness he had eaten tonight, he was horrified to find that Leah had cleaned up the plates again and brought out an exaggeratedly large baking tray from the kitchen that looked like a treasure chest.

It was a whole wild boar roasted in red wine and onions!
Louis ignored the fear in Ronan's eyes, cut off the wild boar leg and put it on his plate, grinning and saying:
"Welcome to Provence, kid."

(End of this chapter)