1986: My Happy Life in Provence

Chapter 284 Money shouldn't be wasted; make the most of it!
The presence of hornets' nests is always a dangerous thing, no matter when or where.

Especially since they built their nests inside dangerous electrical boxes, they can't be taken lightly.

According to Feng Zhen's account, the staff who came to check the electricity meter were so frightened that they scrambled out of the box, saying that the beehives had almost filled the entire electrical box.

Seeing the urgency of the situation, Luo Tianhai called the fire department for help early the next morning. After learning the details, the fire department also called the power company, as they were unfamiliar with the structure of the electrical box.

The power company was probably worried that the firefighters were being too rough and might anger the wasps, posing a danger to their subsequent operations, so they ordered Luo Tianhai to have a professional pest control company provide guidance throughout the process.

Luo Tianhai found a professional pest control company in the Yellow Pages, but after they learned that the pests were wasps, they suggested that he also hire a professional beekeeper so that things would go more smoothly.

They kept calling out to each other until the afternoon of the fourth day, when the restaurant's plan to get rid of the wasps was finally put into action.

"Fantastic! We've finally assembled a professional team of over 30 people. Anyone else want to join?" Ronan was extremely satisfied with the efficiency and style of the Provençal people.

But let's work harder! 30 people aren't enough; we need to get at least 50 to start a group.
Feng Zhen rolled her eyes at Ronan:
"Alright, alright, stop adding fuel to the fire! Do you think we can be short-handed? The Lourmaran people are going to have a good show to watch!"

Kafu installed the electrical box on the edge of the wall in the outdoor area of ​​the restaurant, in a space that wasn't very spacious.

If it weren't for the meter reader counting the electricity, it would be difficult for anyone to notice that wasps had entered the meter box through the ventilation fan above.

The space in front of the electrical box is small, and the number of operators that can be accommodated is limited.

Therefore, before taking action, the next point of contention became what kind of plan to implement.

This is very important because it directly relates to who will 'invite' the wasps out.

Firefighters said they didn't understand electricity, power company officials said they had no experience dealing with wasps, and pest control companies said wasps shouldn't be killed and beekeepers should try to catch them.

The beekeeper said, "I didn't get paid. You're just here to watch the fun. You don't really expect me to do any work, do you?"

"Damn it, are these guys even capable? If not, I'll go!" Henry had already finished his fourth cigarette, but the electrical box door was still not open.

At this rate of development, when will we be able to shut down the hornet's nest?

The work of clearing the bushes has recently been completed, and a large group of 'bold and meticulous' farmers have gathered in Ronan's restaurant. After successfully completing the National Forest Service's arduous task, these people feel that there is nothing they cannot accomplish.

Mafengwo is nothing!

Even if dinosaurs came, we could take them all down!

Theo, with a cigarette dangling from his lips, asked Ronan from behind the crowd:

"How much did you pay these good-for-nothings?"

Ronan sighed:

"I paid the fire department 50 francs, the pest control company 300 francs, the beekeeper didn't take the money but gave him two bottles of wine, only the people from the power company didn't take the money."

Since the wasp nest did not directly pose a threat to personal safety, it was defined as a non-emergency request, so the fire department had to pay the fee.

That's right, in France, firefighters don't always respond for free; there's a distinction between 'emergency requests' and 'non-emergency requests'.

Since pest control companies are privately owned, you have to pay them.

The beekeeper was a villager from Lourmaran. He didn't want to work outdoors in the cold winter, especially dealing with wasps. Ronan gave him two bottles of good wine before he was willing to leave the warm blanket.

However, Ronan could understand his predicament.

After January, the temperature dropped significantly, and fewer villagers came to watch the spectacle. If it were summer, the backyard probably wouldn't be big enough to hold it all, and some people might even go to Lourmaran Castle across the street to see this side.

Theo angrily yelled at the group:
"Except for the power bureau, all of you get over here! You think you can just fool us with words? Do you think we're blind?"

French residents are 'friendly' to all government departments.

Whether it's the health department, the fire department, or some random police officer, no one will accuse a resident of yelling at them; it's a common practice among Provençal residents.

Apart from the effects of bad weather, all other bad things in this world are caused by government agencies!
Believe it or not, Theo's outburst quickly led to the bee eradication plan being finalized.

"Let's kill them; it's too dangerous to move the whole thing out." The fire department formulated its operational plan.

The pest control company still didn't want to accept the proposal, watching as the power company made a final effort:

"But our pesticides can corrode metal parts, isn't that dangerous?"

The power company staff wrapped themselves up like mummies.

"I don't care whether you kill them or move them out, we need to clean it up so we can assess the circuit's condition. Either way is fine, I have no objection."

The beekeeper impatiently pulled out a wine jug:
"Can you guys hurry up? You're dawdling and it's freezing cold."

The fire department and the pest control company will jointly be responsible for the final execution.

Due to the special environment, they put on insulated protective gear, making them look like pilots going to outer space.

The three people cautiously approached the electrical box, their movements so careful and timid that it seemed as if they were dealing with some kind of alien creature.

The onlookers in the back held their breath, anticipating the thrilling scene of the wasps swarming out and being killed by chemical reagents. This confrontation between humans and nature was truly exhilarating.

But the electrical box door slowly opened, revealing only a small honeycomb about the size of a cup, with only a few wasps scattered around.

The onlookers were dissatisfied. What the hell? Weren't we supposed to fill up all the electrical boxes?!
The workers were extremely satisfied!
"Is there any damage to the equipment? Have someone from the power company come and take a look."

"Oh no, I don't want to look, I don't want to look. I'll look after it's cleaned up."

"It's so small, it can be moved out of the house. Don't spray insecticide, beekeepers!"

"I'll do it!!"

In the end, the 30-plus professional team that Ronan hired were all just there to watch the show. The beekeepers, wearing protective suits, wrapped the small honeycomb in breathable cloth covers, and that's how the matter was resolved.

Looking at the wasps trapped inside the ventilation cover, Ronan felt that this whole thing was too Provence.

The exaggerated counters, the sluggish implementers, and the excited onlookers—all the key elements of Provence are gathered together.

This is absolutely ironic.

More than 30 people discussed for three days, all to deal with thirteen wasps, and their 'meticulous' plan was ultimately 'overturned'.

"What do you think?" Pierre asked Ronan with a mischievous grin.

We didn't even go digging for truffles; we left them in Lourmaran to deal with the hornet's nest.

Is this the result?

If we had known it was like this, we would have solved it for you three days ago.

"What do you think?" Ronan scoffed. "I can only vent my anger through art!"

I can't let the money go to waste, and I can't let the time go to waste either. I'm going to use this inspiration to create something amazing!!

There are still many things to do after moving the beehive.

After the power company confirmed that there was no damage to the circuit, the pest control company thoroughly washed away the honeycomb residue with soapy water and scraped clean the honeycomb base. They then sprayed lemongrass essential oil to cover up traces of pheromones and prevent new bee colonies from returning.

While the pest control company was working, firefighters installed insect-proof netting on the electrical box.

Seeing these people bustling about, the farmers went to the restaurant to tell Ronan that his money hadn't been wasted.

It turned out that Ronan was even busier than these people, and they couldn't even see him.

"Where's Ronan?" Theo asked Feng Zhen, who was behind the cashier.

Feng Zhen pointed to the kitchen and said:
"Got to 'create'."

"Creation? Creation of what?" Theo asked, looking puzzled. Feng Zhen happily explained:

"You guys were probably too busy going to work recently to know that Ronan is an artist now. He creates things with desserts every now and then, and they're really beautiful."

Feng Zhen has always wanted Ronan to be an artist!
My dream has finally come true!

Theo's eyes were bigger than a donkey's:

"Ronan? The artist??"

He immediately shared the news with the farmers, and their expressions were increasingly exaggerated.

"Why is Ronan doing such advanced things? Has he stopped farming?"

"When you talk about artists, it feels like they're getting further away from us. Why would anyone want to be an artist?"

"I hate anything that's vague and ambiguous!"

Ronan's work today was inspired by the 'bee-catching' project he was working on this afternoon.

Bee catching is a theme that fits perfectly with nature.

Now that we've decided on the theme, we can't avoid talking about bees.

In his recent dessert creations, Ronan discovered a current limitation in his abilities: the 'shape' can only be achieved through other ingredients.

For example, if you want to make a rose-shaped cake, you need to use cream or other ingredients to create the shape of a rose on the cake itself; it's difficult to simply make the entire cake into the shape of a rose.

It's difficult to create a whole dessert type like bread and cookies, but there's not much room for creative expression.

Of course, this can create beautiful desserts, but it's never comprehensive enough.

Ronan increasingly felt that he needed to upgrade his [Cooking] skill as soon as possible to see if he could unlock new abilities.

Today's creation also encountered some bottlenecks. After finally completing the 'bee', Ronan felt that the current composition was too monotonous.

He knows how to arrange the composition to look good, but with his current abilities, it would take too much time and effort to achieve a satisfactory result.

"Why have you been creating for so long today?" Feng Zhen couldn't help but come over and ask.

In the past, Ronan would have finished making the dessert in an afternoon, but today, six or seven hours have passed, and the restaurant is almost closing time, and he's still in the back doing something.

Ronan was carving something meticulously on a dried fruit, as if performing surgery:
"I'm carving."

Feng Zhen glanced at it and urged:
"Hurry up and get out of here, Theo and the others have been waiting for you for a long time."

"Almost there." Ronan looked up and rubbed his dry eyes.

Carving with dried fruit and nuts is too difficult; if other ingredients could be found, it would have been finished hours ago.

It was almost closing time, but the restaurant was still quite busy.

The artists, having heard that Ronan had "created" something again today, were waiting to discuss his artwork with him.

The farmers refused to leave, wanting to understand how their good friend had become an artist after not seeing him for over a month. What was he thinking?
At 7:45 p.m., Ronan finally came out carrying a small white cup.

He placed today's artwork directly on the table where Marini was. He said expectantly:
"Take a look at my work today."

"Wow, what exquisite bees! Is this mousse?"

"What's that net-like thing? White chocolate?"

"God, you've carved fruit again!"

The artists were having a lively discussion about the ingredients and techniques. Sculptor Marini pressed his face against the flowers carved from the dried fruit and looked at them intently for a few seconds.

"Ronan, your hands are so steady, you could totally do miniature sculptures."

Honestly, Marini couldn't have carved something so exquisite on a dried fruit; it would have been too small.

Ronan pointed to the honey dessert and asked them with a smile:
Can you guess what the theme is?

The theme and the story behind the creation are the keys to understanding artistic language.

In recent years, some artworks in France have seen their prices increase by 50 to 100 times due to the stories behind them.

Although some artists have proposed the theory of 'narrative dependence in art', urging everyone not to focus on storytelling in the creative process.

However, contemporary artists still dedicate some of their energy to 'creating' stories for their works.

Whenever an artist displays their best work in the restaurant, everyone actively participates, offering the artist engaging and touching 'story' ideas – a form of mutual encouragement and support.

The artists present shared several stories about Ronan's works, most of which revolved around the hard work of bees, as bees are the first thing that comes to mind when people see them.

Suddenly, several farmers reeking of alcohol appeared behind them, but these men were far more skilled storytellers than they were.

"The theme of this work is bee catching. The outer layer of white chocolate net symbolizes that it has been caught, while the flowers outside the net represent the colorful world."

“It’s goodbye to the glamorous world forever!” Cornell blurted out.

Theo grinned mischievously.
"Look, doesn't that white thing around us look like an electrical box? This bee got caught in the net inside the box! Hahahaha—"

Several artists, including Marini, looked at each other.

Lourmaran truly is the future art capital; even the farmers' thinking is so imaginative.
This story is so interesting!

night.

Ronan and the farmers drank until the restaurant lights went out and all the waiters went home.

The brothers' part-time jobs are finally over, and they can finally have a good drink.

Pierre looked at the bee dessert in the middle of the table and said:

"Is this art? For the first time, I feel that art is so close to me, and I can completely understand what you are trying to express."

Ronan smiled and poured him a drink:

"Zoe said that everything can be art, but it's not as complicated as you think."

Fabian clicked his tongue in amazement and said:
"If this is art, then I'm in love with it now. It looks delicious! Dude, if you want to use desserts to participate in some art exhibition, I'll definitely support you. This kind of thing that appeals to both the refined and the common people is much more interesting than paintings and sculptures."

Ronan looked at everyone with a smile:
“I’ve decided to participate in that nature-themed art event, and I’ll use desserts as my entry. I might need your help in the future. When it comes to the earth and nature, no one understands it better than us farmers.”

Cornell sat up straight excitedly:

"Really? We can be involved with art too?"

Ronan spread his hands and said firmly:
"Of course, I'm also waiting for you guys to provide me with inspiration."

The farmers chattered incessantly, actively providing Ronan with what they called 'inspiration'.

Theo got really into it and tried to snatch the honey dessert from Ronan's hand several times.
"You guys keep talking, give me this first, Anna will go crazy if she sees it!"

Ronan held it tightly in his arms:
"No, if you take it and eat it, what am I going to show Zoe?"

Ronan is quite satisfied with this work and plans to share it with Zoe.

While reporting on the progress made, also let her give some feedback.

That's the most talented artist in Lourmaran!
(End of this chapter)