1986: My Happy Life in Provence

Chapter 300 Put down the knife, pick up the sword
Alphonse demanded a stable supply of truffles.

Ronan won't have a chance to rest for a while; he has to go into the mountains during the day.

As early as last week, he handed over the two market stalls to Isabelle and a chef who could make sweet and sour pork, and Vieri would also go to help them on Saturdays.

It's winter now, and we've just experienced a cold snap, so Ronan can take a break and give young people a stage and opportunities.

He couldn't even find time to go to the market. Although the submission deadline was approaching, he could only prepare the works for the exhibition after returning to Lourmarin that evening.

On his way home after leaving Zoe's house, Ronan couldn't help but think:

Going straight back would mean losing another day, and we already don't have enough time.

Almost instantly, he changed direction and headed towards the commercial street.

At 9 p.m., many shops on the commercial street were lit up, not much different from other streets in Lourmaran.

Shop owners or employees from other villages, like Cotillard and Thomas, would live upstairs in their shops.

During this cold wave, many households in the village experienced problems with their electricity and water systems, but the houses on the commercial street withstood this test of nature without a single building experiencing issues. This demonstrates that the Lourmaran government did not cut corners when building this street.

Ronan walked slowly toward the restaurant, where no lights were on.

Once Cafu finished building the studio in the backyard, he began decorating his parents' house, and soon the restaurant building would be lit up at night.

As he pondered, Ronan couldn't help but chuckle softly a few times, and his steps became lighter as well.

There are several things waiting for him to resolve or do:
The first was the most urgent 'Land Art' event, but the exhibition Zoe chose for him was small, opening at the end of January and ending in early February, lasting only a week, so Ronan didn't have much time to spare.

The second is the winery 'learning' plan that was not completed before. He definitely can't find the time in January, and it's hard to say when he can do it in February, depending on the situation of the truffle market. However, this task must be completed before mid-March, at which time he must go and 'confront' Blanco.

The third task, which is yet to be completed, is to visit the perfume museum in Provence and try to understand Astrid's identity. This task is to be completed at the same time as the previous task. Once you understand the perfume-museum business model that has existed in Provence for hundreds of years, your chances of success when confronting Blanco will be much higher.

The fourth problem to be solved is the 'Schrödinger' grapevines in the field. Ronan needs to find a way to continue everyone's hopes by the beginning of April.

This rough calculation shows that Ronan will have a lot to do in the next three months, and each one is very important.

But once I've finished dealing with all these troubling things, it'll be almost time to marry Zoe.

Thinking about it this way improved my mood and state of mind a lot, and I even felt an urgency to get to April as soon as possible.

Therefore, people can never lack 'hope'.

Like the lights on both sides, it will guide you to find the way out of the 'darkness'.

Upon entering the restaurant, Ronan did not immediately immerse himself in 'creation'.

He turned on a light near the kitchen, sat down in a chair to calm himself and think.

Not being able to upgrade [Cooking] to level 5 means that the types of desserts that can be made are still those taught by Leah.

Ronan could already imagine the general level and appearance of what he would create in the next few days, because he had practiced very seriously for a while in early January and made more than a dozen pieces.

It was precisely because he understood where his 'upper limit' lay that Ronan was eager to upgrade his [Cooking] skill.

But things didn't go as planned. No one expected that such a big thing would happen in Provence in mid-to-late January, which directly disrupted his life and plans.

Given this situation, Ronan had no choice but to change his approach.

The focus has shifted from the previous techniques and processes of "betting" to the understanding and conception of the "betting" theme.

Just as he said to Zoe.

I believe no artist understands nature better than him, and what nature is like.

In the year since arriving in Provence, he has been constantly interacting with nature, whether farming or collecting truffles. Just two weeks ago, he had a fierce "battle" with nature.

Ronan felt both gratitude and resentment towards nature; his feelings about it could no longer be summarized in just a few words.

“I have complex feelings about the theme and want to express a lot. What specific aspect does this work want to express?” Ronan’s eyes showed obvious confusion under the dim light.

After thinking for more than ten minutes without success, he got up and went to the kitchen.

"There was no time to hesitate. Since I have so much to express, I'll put it all into my work."

Fortunately, Ronan started preparing a day in advance.

The next evening, as soon as he returned to the restaurant, Cotillard nervously stopped him:

“Zoe told me this morning that you were going to submit your work to Rodrigo’s exhibition, but he suddenly moved up the closing time. If you want to participate, you need to give me your work tomorrow.”

Cotillard helped with all the submissions for Lourmaran artists to participate in the 'Earth Art' event.

Once Zoe decided which exhibition Ronan would attend, she immediately informed her.

Ronan thought for a moment:
"It should be possible; I can finish the work tonight."

Cotillard was clearly stunned.

In the past, when Ronan practiced, it would take him an afternoon and an evening to complete a single piece. Was the time shortened this time?

Cotillard's expression turned serious:

“Ronan, Zoe, and Marini have all said more than once that your strengths are your design skills and your extremely high level of sculpting. These are your two sharpest weapons, so you must never forget them.”

Shorter production time means less time-consuming carving techniques.

But that's Ronan's greatest strength.

As the two were talking, Lucas arrived at the restaurant with truffles.

"I dug up another 2 kilograms today."

Ronan first nodded to Lucas, signaling him to wait a moment, then said to Cotillard:
"Sometimes you have to make choices, and this time I may have to change the style of my work."

With Lucas standing nearby, Codia didn't want to press the issue further, but she brought up a temporary situation:

"Rodriguez requires all participating artists to be present on the opening day of the exhibition to explain the themes and creative process of their works to guests and visitors from all over the world, but...do you have time to go?"

Ronan smacked his lips and frowned:
"I can't leave. Maybe I should submit to another exhibition? This person is being too demanding."

He can bring back at least 2.5 kilograms of truffles every day. Lucas sometimes gets more, sometimes less, but he could never manage to get 4 kilograms a day on his own.

Cotillard said in a professional tone:

"To be honest, you and Zoe made a very good decision. Rodrigo is a person with a strong sense of curiosity. Submitting the dessert to him has the highest probability of success. You know, no one in Provence has ever submitted a dessert to an art event before."

She continued in a complicated tone:

"Moreover, Rodrigo has a very wide circle of friends. I know more than a dozen well-known artists who will be attending the opening ceremony of his exhibition. I heard that he also invited the director of the Granet Museum. This time, he insisted on holding the exhibition in his own name. If it were a different collaboration, you wouldn't have a chance to go. His collection would have been full a week ago. But it all depends on your decision. If time doesn't allow, you can go to other events. This will give you more time to refine your work."

“Let’s choose another one.” Ronan said without hesitation.

“Wait a minute—” Lucas finally understood what the two were whispering at the door. She asked Cotillard, “How long will Ronan be gone?”

Lucas had heard Theo say that Ronan was going to attend a very important event at the end of the month, which was related to art.

After thinking for a moment, Gotia replied:

"Art exhibitions usually open in the morning, so I definitely have to go in the morning. In the afternoon, I can talk to the organizers and go for only half a day."

Before Ronan could say anything, Lucas shrugged at him:

“No problem. You can participate in the activity in the morning and go into the mountains in the afternoon. Our amount can be 4 kilograms.”

Ronan considered it for a moment, then shook his head and said:
“It’s not guaranteed. I can only dig up 1.5 kilograms of truffles in half a day in the mountains, at best, but you can’t bring back 2.5 kilograms every day.”

Lucas raised his muddy hand, lit a cigarette, and said to Ronan in an unquestionable tone:
“Then I’ll dig up 2.5 kilograms and come back. This isn’t a difficult problem for Margaret and me. But you shouldn’t miss this opportunity. I understand what this lady is implying. She thinks you shouldn’t change your plans. It’s your best option.”

“That’s right!” Godigo winked gratefully at Lucas, then joined in persuading Ronan, “Trust me, Rodrigo is your best choice. He might even help you promote the art of pastry. He often does unexpected things!”

Ronan hesitated, scratching his head, seemingly beginning to waver.

Lucas snatched the bag of truffles from Ronan's hand, which he hadn't yet put down, and 'forcefully' kicked him in the butt:
"Stop wasting time, get to 'creating'! I'll contact Cornell today, you don't need to worry about the rest!"

Cotillard hopped and skipped as he pushed Ronan into the kitchen:
"Go quickly, great artist! You're the last person Lourmarin submitted for this exhibition, but this is the work I'm most looking forward to!! Go quickly!"

Cotillard thought she would have to wait until the dead of night.

But Ronan finished the work in just over three hours and took it out to 'pack'.

"This is—" Codia lunged forward and looked around carefully.

Suddenly, her eyes exploded like fireworks soaring into the sky, bursting into a dazzling display of light:

"God, Ronan, you're a genius! The theme of this work is fantastic!!"

Upon learning that Ronan might abandon his two 'weapons', Cotillard was extremely worried.

But seeing the finished product, the experienced woman felt confident!

What is this called?
This is called putting down the knife but picking up the sword.

It turns out Ronan is proficient in more than one 'weapon'.

This work is so relevant to this moment!

Ronan carefully placed the artwork into the special 'insurance' box that Cotillard had brought, and smiled slightly.
"No, your understanding of the topic is definitely different from what I want to express."

"Huh?" Codia said, pointing at the dessert. "It's obvious, it's just—"

Ronan put his index finger to his lips and made a 'shh' gesture:

"If it passes the selection process and is placed in Gold's exhibition, I will then tell the full story. So let's look forward to the results tomorrow."

(End of this chapter)