1986: My Happy Life in Provence

Chapter 293 The Seeds of Hope Have Quietly Sprout
Burying grapevines is a skill-intensive task.

It also requires a high level of physical strength.

It is especially difficult to carry out in the cold winter.

Only a small fraction of the friends Ronan called in were actually helpful, such as Louis, Freddie, and Alan.

Thomas, the "young master," had only been there for an hour when he tripped and fell twice on the ground, nearly breaking his glasses.

Batistuta's figure was even 'thinner' than the grapevine, which 'swung' him around wildly, as if his body had been possessed by a demon. From a distance, it looked quite like a piece of performance art.

The sculptor Marini was physically exhausted and lacked the ability to keep up; even without drinking, he was so anxious that he started talking to the grapevines.

"Could you cooperate a little? We're helping you survive."

In less than a morning, Ronan had persuaded these people to go back one after another.

They were in the field, and Ronan didn't know whether to save the grapevines or the grapevines.

These people knew that staying would only cause trouble for Ronan, but they were also anxious for him. Some went back to prepare food, while others stayed to cheer him on. Marini even brought over a piece of wood, saying he wanted to 'create' something on the spot.

"Though the person is gone, their spirit remains. We will accompany you through this natural disaster!" Bati shouted, waving a grapevine.

Another reason Ronan dared to persuade people to leave was that the big guys building studios in the backyard came to help.

The grapevines were held in their hands like ropes; although their technique was not skilled, they were physically strong.

Cafu also appeared in Ronan's vineyard in the afternoon.

"Why are you here too?" Ronan asked, pointing to his men. "Did they call you?"

Cafu didn't get out of the car; he just stuck his head out.

"No, Lucas called me here."

Cafu was a craftsman whom Lucas introduced to Ronan, so it's not surprising that they had private contact.

What's strange is why Lucas called Cafu over?
He shouldn't have any need to renovate or build a house right now.

"What does Lucas want with you?" Ronan straightened up.

Cafu pointed in the direction of Theo's house and said:
“Lucas called me about the weather and said his brother’s land needed help. He called some farmers, but he was worried that he still wouldn’t have enough manpower, so he asked me to bring some more brothers over. I was worried about the situation here, so I came to check on things.”

Ronan nodded knowingly, thinking to himself that Lucas still doted on his younger brother Theo, even calling Apte.

He said gratefully to Cafu:
"Don't worry about me, your guys are very capable."

Cafu raised his chin and turned the car around:

"That's good. I'm going back to Lucas's place."

Ronan asked Cafu:
"Is Lucas with Theo?"

Cafu nodded:

“When I arrived with my men, there were only the two brothers in the field. Lucas said he would stay in the field to help for the next few days until all the winter protection work was completed.”

Ronan and Cafu waved goodbye:
"Give my regards to Lucas."

For the next three or four days, Lourmaran entered a strange atmosphere.

During the day, the men worked hard in the fields despite the freezing cold, but at night they seemed to forget their troubles and gather together to play a 'find the clues' game.

For example, based on the shape of the clouds today, one can predict that the temperature will definitely rise tomorrow morning.

Alternatively, you can analyze whether today's temperature is higher than yesterday's by observing the state of the first puff of steam you exhale when you go out in the morning.

Some people will use information they've heard from who-knows-where to comfort those around them, saying that there will definitely be no cold wave this year, and it might even be a mild winter.

“Don’t worry about Josephine, things are just getting better for us, God won’t play this joke on us.” Henry put on his thick coat and leather hat. “You and Lisa go to sleep first, I’ll go check again.”

"Theo, what time is it? Aren't you asleep yet?" Rebecca had just put Anna to sleep when she came out and found Theo actually butchering a rabbit in the kitchen.

Theo skillfully skinned the rabbit:

"Lucas has worked hard these past few days. I plan to keep him here for a drink tomorrow night. The rabbit will be marinated a day in advance so it will be more flavorful when roasted."

Rebecca leaned against the kitchen doorway and asked:

Are you almost done?

Theo gave his wife a 'don't worry' smile:

"The cold wave is definitely not coming. I'm going hunting in the mountains with Lucas and Ronan next week."

"We'll be done by tomorrow afternoon." After several days of working outdoors in the low temperatures, Ronan's face was slightly frostbitten.

Her cheeks would immediately turn red as soon as she entered a warm indoor space.

Zoe smeared various bottles and jars on his face and said sternly:
"You must wear a mask when you go out tomorrow, do you hear me?"

Ronan countered:

"That would be too strange; people would think I was going to rob someone."

Zoe let out a long sigh, then smiled again:
"I'm relieved to see you like this. I was worried you wouldn't be able to sleep because of all the stress."

Ronan also sighed, but more than that, he felt relieved. He had figured out many things these past few days:

"We cannot expect nature to give us only 'good' gifts."

Zoe unfolded a white mask covered in sticky mucus and held it up in front of Ronan:

“Come here.” Ronan resisted, moving his neck away.

"No, no, no, I won't use that kind of stuff. I'd rather blush like an Englishman!"

At the same time, in an old house in Lourmaran.

Blanco, wearing thick pajamas, was writing something under the lamp with his head down.

His wife tiptoed and placed a glass of hot milk beside him.

"Thank you." Blanco smiled and looked up.

His wife asked with some concern:
"Have you thought of any other materials that can be added to the proposal?"

Blanco has been in a very tense state these past few months. He would suddenly think of something while eating and would immediately put down his knife and fork to add to the food.

Returning home is no different from working in the government building.

Blanco shook his head:
"No, we're working on a 'disaster relief' program."

Blanco's wife had also heard about the recent major weather events and said with concern:
"If a disaster really happens, it's probably not something that can be salvaged by government compensation. You know, land is everything to farmers. And right now, the Lourmaran government has no money."

Blanco capped the fountain pen and said calmly:

"Just because we don't have money now doesn't mean we won't have it in a few months. Even if we don't have it in a few months, we still need to make the villagers see the existence of 'hope' and firmly believe in its existence."

He looked out the window at the scattered lights of Lourmaran and said firmly:
"The seeds of hope have quietly sprouted in the hearts of the people of Lourmaran. Even if the worst happens, as long as hope remains, they are not so easily defeated now."

Ronan's vineyards are not large, and a dozen or so people can complete all the winter protection work in four or five days.

Every day he would pray more than once, hoping that the temperature would not drop any lower, and that the situation that no one wanted to see would not happen.

But early Friday morning, the white smoke rising from the chimneys of every household vanished without a trace as soon as it appeared.

"got windy."

Ronan closed his eyes and sensed the wind direction; though it was very faint, his expression instantly turned serious.

"Mistral wind".

The Mistral wind is the most 'notorious' wind in Provence.

After Pierre and Fabian explained to Ronan the more than thirty types of winds in Provence, Ronan went to learn more about the causes of this cold, dry, strong northerly wind.

Cold air from northwestern Europe or the Arctic moves south through the Rhône Valley, a corridor between the Central Plateau and the Alps, where the narrow terrain causes the airflow to accelerate.

The high-pressure system in the north and the low-pressure area in the Alps form a pressure gradient, driving the cold air to continue moving towards the Mediterranean, eventually forming the Mistral winds.

The average wind speed of this type of wind can reach 50-90 km/h, and in extreme cases it can reach 130 km/h.

The arrival of the Mistral winds indicates that temperatures in the Luberon hinterland may plummet by 5-10 degrees Celsius and humidity may drop below 30% in the next two days.

Ronan's first reaction was not to wallow in self-pity, but to immediately call Pierre.

But as he ran into the house, the phone rang, and sure enough, it was Pierre.

Pierre seemed to have gained the ability to 'split into two' this week; he could be seen in every field in Lourmarin. Although he didn't come to Ronan's place, he would call Ronan every morning to ask about the situation.

But Pierre still had his own things to do.
Ronan even doubted whether he had slept at all these past few days!

"You noticed it too?" Ronan asked in a low voice.

"It's getting windy." Even though it was over the phone, Ronan could still hear the seriousness in Pierre's voice.

Pierre said in an extremely calm voice:
“Remember what I’m about to say. Go find some wet straw, stalks, sawdust, and wood chips right now. You’ll need at least 500 kilograms, depending on the size of your vineyard. Divide these materials into 50-60 smoke piles and place them evenly in the vineyard, making sure all the vines are covered by the smoke from the smoke after they’re lit.”

"Light the fire 1-2 hours after sunset tomorrow. Remember, do not let the smoke pile go out during the night. Put the fire out 2 hours after sunrise. If the Mistral winds still haven't stopped by the day after tomorrow, continue with the above steps. Do you understand?"

Pierre was explaining to Ronan an emergency response method used during natural disasters—smoke fumigation.

By burning specific materials to release smoke and heat, the ground temperature is slowed down, protecting the grapevines from low-temperature damage.

Although Ronan had already begun reviewing how to use the 'smoke method' several days prior, he still listened patiently and responded thoughtfully:
"remember."

Pierre's tone suddenly turned somber:
"Ronan, please don't hate nature, okay? He just loves to joke around, just like me."

Ronan encountered extreme weather, a once-in-a-decade occurrence, during his first year of farming.

Pierre was genuinely afraid that this would give Ronan a bad experience and make him regret his decision to become a farmer.

Ronan said calmly but sincerely:
"Of course not, nature has already given us so much."

Pierre smiled with satisfaction, but his tone quickly turned serious:

"I'll inform the others."

He was about to hang up immediately, but Ronan stopped him first, saying worriedly:

"Pierre, don't put too much pressure on yourself."

Pierre is a very responsible person.

Ronan was really afraid that instead of the Mistral winds crushing the farmers, Pierre would crush himself.

Pierre gave a soft "hmm," then said in a concerned tone:

"Go and prepare the things quickly. Remember, it should be wet straw, stalks, wood chips, and sawdust. And whatever you do, make sure the cigarette doesn't go out at night."

(End of this chapter)