1986: My Happy Life in Provence

Chapter 304 A complete success, a success in every sense of the word!
After Ronan, Zoe, and Cotillard watched Mr. Normand leave, the first thing they did was look for Batty.

This guy has been missing for half a day.

Weren't you here to cheer Ronan on? Where did you go to 'cheer him on'?

Soon, they spotted Batty, who had a joyful expression, in the densest crowd near 'Hope'.

He was having a passionate conversation with seven or eight female artists around him.

"God, Barty never changes his nature, no matter where he goes." Codia shook his head helplessly.

Ronan smiled and made excuses for his 'teacher' Batty:
“If I hadn’t kept him here, he would be experiencing the vibrancy of a big city in Nice right now. He must be exhausted from the ‘Earth Art’ exhibition and the knitting orders. Let him relax.”

"You really know how to make excuses for him," Codia said, pursing her lips.

Seemingly sensing three pairs of cold eyes behind him, Barty turned his head and met Ronan's gaze.

He gave a thumbs-up and mouthed happily:

"Several artists wanted to visit Lourma, so I gave them the restaurant's address!"

Ronan, Zoe, and Cotillard were taken aback for a moment, then gave him six thumbs-up from a distance:

No rush, no rush, keep chatting, good luck!
We're waiting for you!!
After discussions between Cotillard and the organizers, Ronan was only allowed to attend the morning event.

At first, the organizers were reluctant, but 'Hope' was the most eye-catching work on the first day of the exhibition.

Not only did Mr. Rodrigo like it, but Mr. Normand also personally led the applause. The staff were well aware that the exhibition might only be able to rely on this one work for the next seven days, so they naturally did not dare to make things difficult for the artist who created it.

Their attitude made a complete 180-degree turn; they not only agreed to let Ronan return in the afternoon, but also personally escorted the group out of the castle.

"Mr. Ronan, we look forward to working with you again next time," they said with beaming smiles.

"Okay, don't bother seeing me off, you can go back now." Ronan waved goodbye to them.

After walking a little further away, Cotillard muttered to himself:
"Let's hope there won't be another chance to cooperate. This was a last resort."

Who wants their work to be associated with Rodrigo?!

Ronan, however, had a different opinion:

"Mr. Rodrigo's aesthetic sense is impeccable."

He took a walk around the castle in the morning. Although some of the works were indeed hard to describe, Ronan discovered many trendy things.

Examples include purely mechanical artworks, small castles made of recycled plastic, and light shows resembling futuristic 3D projection art.

Ronan could only say that Mr. Rodrigo's thinking was quite ahead of his time.

But time will not stop.

He's now universally condemned, but in a few years he might become the biggest winner.

Moreover, Mr. Rodrigo had already said before he left that he would go to Lourmarin to find Ronan after finishing the exhibition. How could he possibly avoid it?

It's just unclear what his purpose was in coming to Lourmaran.

Ronan's first art event can be described as a complete success.

With so many masters present today, Ronan's name will soon spread throughout the Provençal art world, and perhaps over the next six days a continuous stream of prominent figures will come to appreciate his work.

But Ronan's goal was not to become a famous artist, and someone 'indirectly' helped him achieve that goal.

“Those female artists will definitely love the art scene in Lourmaran, and I’ve decided to come here for the next few days to promote it.” Barty lightly pumped his fist to encourage himself.

“Of course.” Ronan smiled at him. “Other places may have a stronger artistic atmosphere than Lourmarin, but there are definitely no more enthusiastic companions like you there. You are so enthusiastic, Barty, you even told them where to rent a house.”

Batty chuckled twice, then turned serious and looked at Ronan:

“Some tourists are attracted by the desserts and want to visit Lourmaran to see what other desserts you have in your restaurant. I think you should update your menu?”

Ronan's heart skipped a beat, and a pale blue screen immediately appeared in front of him.

The value in the bottom "Happiness" column has reached 4789, not far from the 5000 mark.

“Yes, I’m going to start developing new desserts soon,” Ronan nodded.

He planned to upgrade his [Cooking] skill and see what new abilities he gained before upgrading his dessert skills. Gothia had been happily humming a song ever since he left the castle.

Zoe asked her with a smile:

"So happy?"

Codia laughed heartily a few times, pointed at Ronan, then at Zoe, his tone filled with barely suppressed excitement and anticipation:

"I have a feeling that you two might actually make me a legendary agent in the French art world. A legendary agent like Daniel-Henri Kahnweiler! I'm so excited!!"

Daniel Henri Kahnweiler was the exclusive agent for Cubist artists such as Picasso and Georges Braque, and he propelled Cubism from avant-garde experimentation to the mainstream, leaving a significant mark on the French art world. He is the target and idol of almost all local art dealers.

Zoe happily took Cotillard's arm:
“It’s not just me and Ronan, you’re the agent for all the artists in Lourmaran. None of us can become famous without you!”

Batty looked over gratefully:

“That’s right, Cotillard. Without you, I wouldn’t have known about this event, let alone had the opportunity to participate in the main stage of the ‘Center’.”

Weaving is such a niche art form that Bati never imagined she could participate in events and exhibitions.

It was Cotillard who encouraged him with unwavering conviction: "Just focus on creating good works. Leave the submission and application to me. If they don't accept your work, they must be blind."

Ronan peeked out, bypassing Zoe to look at Cotillard and Batty:
"I want to thank you both for joining the Lourmarin art family."

If Lourmarin truly becomes the rosé wine capital of Provence in the future, you will all be heroes!

Codia, feeling embarrassed by the praise, pulled Zoe around in a different direction and quickened her pace:

"Since we're talking about the Lourmaran art family, let's go see the others. Vivian and Ronald are both in Gold today."

"Shall we buy some food and go find them? There's a really good butter bread shop in Gold," Buddy suggested thoughtfully.

"It's almost lunchtime, why don't we invite them to eat together?" Zoe suggested.

"I'm not going, you guys go ahead." Ronan stopped and looked at them with a smile.

It's already 11 o'clock; he should go to Frassiere.

Zoe gently hugged Ronan and said with a soft smile:
"Go on with your work, my great artist."

Ronan uses 'scientific' evidence to find truffles. As long as a person is in a normal condition, the daily truffle harvest is very stable and will always be controlled within a certain range.

But Lucas relied entirely on Margaret's nose to find truffles.

Margaret is a good girl, but she is, after all, a small animal, and unexpected situations are inevitable, so the weight of truffles that Lucas brings back each day varies greatly.

Sometimes it weighs only 1.5 kilograms, but sometimes it weighs more than Ronan brought back.

Concerned about the unstable situation at Lucas's place today, Ronan deliberately extended his working hours in the forest.

He usually returns at 3:30 or no later than 4:00, but today he waited until it was completely dark before leaving, and by the time he got back to Lourmaran, the restaurant was almost closed.

It was lunchtime, and Feng Zhen and Luo Tianhai, looking concerned, gathered around and examined Ronan from head to toe.

"Why are you back so late today?"

Ronan smiled and waved the bag of truffles in his hand:

"I only came back after collecting 2.5 kilograms."

Even in the worst-case scenario, Lucas would still have 4 kilograms of fresh truffles.

Leah patted her chest and said:
"Oh, I was so worried! I was about to call Zoe if you didn't come back soon."

"It's alright, everyone, don't worry." Ronan stood on tiptoe to look behind the cashier. "How much did Lucas bring back today?"

Feng Zhen frowned and said:
"Lucas hasn't come back yet either, that's why we were so worried. Why are you two so late?"

Ronan made a questioning nasal sound:

"Lucas hasn't come back either?"

(End of this chapter)