1986: My Happy Life in Provence

Chapter 314 No matter how cold the cold wave is, can it be as cold as my heart?!

Ronan made many kinds of traditional Chinese desserts today, and not only did he give them to the artists to try, but he also gave them to his employees and parents.

The farmers did not participate in this 'event'.

Ronan guessed that those alcoholics might say:
It's alright, but not really suitable for pairing with alcohol.

We won't give them any.

"These desserts you made go well with tea," Luo Tianhai said, blowing on his teacup.

Ronan took a sip of his coffee:

"I'm afraid they won't be able to accept too many changes at once, so let's take it slow. The taste is alright with coffee too."

As one of the most important 'judges' this time, Leah took a sip of tea and then a sip of coffee:
"This 'lighter' version of peach blossom pastry, when paired with tea, leaves a lingering fragrance in your mouth."

She picked up another peach blossom pastry, one that was even darker in color:
"But Ronan made some improvements, and it also goes well with stronger-flavored coffee."

"As for improvements, they definitely need to be 'adapted to local conditions,' taking it one step at a time, no problem." Luo Tianhai nodded understandingly, then looked at Luo Nan and asked, "But are you going to put all these kinds of things on the menu?"

Eight or nine kinds of Chinese pastry desserts were laid out in front of them. Although Luo Tianhai didn't know how to make them, he knew that they were all of the same type, only the fillings were different. There were red bean paste, coconut flakes, rose paste, jujube paste, and so on.

He strongly supports Ronan's efforts to upgrade the desserts, believing that the restaurant must never stop striving for success.

But aren't these a bit too 'repetitive'?

Ronan shook his head:

"Of course not, at most one or two can be selected from here. I'm doing so many different ones today to conduct 'research'."

"What are you researching?" Luo Tianhai asked.

“Of course, it’s about researching which flavors people in Provence prefer.” Ronan didn’t explain further, but instead said to Leah, “After I finish the sculpture exhibition, I’ll teach you how to make these Chinese desserts, and then I’ll teach you how to make ‘Hope’. If time allows, we can think of a few more desserts related to the theme of ‘Hope’ together.”

Batistuta's efforts paid off.

A few artists came to try 'hope' today, but Ronan didn't have time, and Leah didn't know how to make it. So I could only recommend other desserts to them.

However, perhaps because they came with 'hope' in mind, a large number of them did not accept the waiter's recommendation.

Ronan gently hugged Leah and said to her in a comforting tone:
"I used desserts to participate in the art exhibition to attract customers to the restaurant, and upgrading the dessert menu was to adapt to the new environment. It has absolutely nothing to do with you. I am extremely satisfied with you. Promise me you won't overthink it, okay?"

Ronan heard from the waiter that the customer refused all other desserts and only wanted 'hope,' which made Leah's face turn a little sour.

Prior to this, Ronan had never interfered with the dessert making at the restaurant.

Now they're making Chinese desserts and upgrading the menu. That's a huge undertaking.

Although Ronan knew Leah well enough to judge that Leah would not be affected by this incident.

If so, it's only temporary.

However, he felt it was necessary to have a proper talk and clarify things to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings.

Lia has a typical Provençal personality.

She is warm, direct, and optimistic:
"How could I be sad! You have no idea how much pressure I was under before, always worried that I would have shortcomings in desserts. Thank God you found a Chinese dessert recipe! And thank God you can make desserts as exquisite as works of art. To be honest, I can't wait to see what the dessert menu will look like after you upgrade it."

She hugged Ronan back:

"Don't worry, I wasn't affected at all. I'm so proud of you!"

Leah already considers Ronan as one of her own.

Who would be heartbroken because their 'son' is too outstanding?

Ronan said happily:
"That's good. After we're done with these few days, let's work together to come up with new dessert ideas."

“No problem!” Leah replied with a smile.

Although there will always be new challenges, I am also clear that I can overcome the difficulties because I am surrounded by excellent partners.

Throughout this process, you can often feel yourself making progress.

This is wonderful; I never experienced this feeling when I was a housewife.

It turns out that a career can make a woman happy!
Ronan made two versions of Chinese desserts today.

One is normal, the other is improved.

The improved version was quickly eaten by the women in the kitchen, but the reduced-sugar version was probably too 'bland' and some was left over.

Ronan and Luo Tianhai weren't particularly fond of sweets, so Ronan took them out and handed them to his mother, who was sitting behind the cashier.

"Keep it here, have something to eat if you get bored."

Feng Zhen chuckled, averting her gaze from what she had been looking at, and said to her son:
"How could I be bored? You have no idea, my position is fantastic. It's like watching a play. I know exactly what's happening in the restaurant and who's coming. My days are so fulfilling."

Ronan chuckled twice and asked with great interest:
"So interesting?"

“Of course!” Feng Zhen lowered her voice mysteriously, “Those two men who just handed over the money... they are both lovers of the same woman, and from what I heard them, they also have other ‘brothers’.”

Ronan gave him a 'that's enough' look, thinking to himself, "What's all this about?"
"Okay, let's get down to business."

Feng Zhen was so engrossed in talking that she held onto the remote control tightly, refusing to change the channel, and continued talking to her son with great enthusiasm:

"In a couple of days, you can sit in my 'auspicious spot' for a day, collect some money, and you'll see how interesting it is to spend every day."

But Ronan, who had also trained with Louis, refused to leave his own channel:
"How were sales in January?"

“Right, right, I remember now. Two policemen came yesterday afternoon and said there was a cold case in Apt. Five people had confessed to murder. Guess what?”

"Is it more or less than December?"

"Those five actually claimed they killed the same person! The two policemen even laughed when they said it!"

"Not as many months as December, right? But is the difference significant?"

"How could five people kill the same person? This is too far-fetched. Can you guess what the actual situation is?"

"Can it be half as bad? The cold wave in January definitely had an impact."

"Clang-crack-"

Feng Zhen threw her pen on the table and said coldly:

"5."

Ronan beamed with joy:
"Even after a two-week cold snap, we still have over 5 yuan in revenue. The restaurant's business is becoming more and more stable."

Feng Zhen snorted coldly:
"No matter how cold the cold wave is, can it be as cold as my heart? Huh? I share my life with my son, but he doesn't want to listen at all!"

"No, no!" Ronan said with a grin. "I was just thinking of finishing our business first, and then we can have a proper chat about life."

"Come on, it's too late."

"What's the actual situation? Who are those five people? And what are their motives? Tell me quickly, I'm dying of curiosity!"

"Stay away from me! I don't want to see you!!"

Ronan had to use two of the latest lipsticks to appease his mother, Feng Zhen.

Although they were given 2 francs every month, Luo Tianhai and Feng Zhen were still reluctant to eat or spend money on themselves, and they considered spending 2000 francs a month to be a lot.

They would give that money to Ronan, and he would keep it for them.

It's just that Ronan didn't earn enough. If he gave his parents 20 francs a month as 'pocket money,' they would have 2 francs in their hands.

Before asking about his mother's restaurant's January revenue, Ronan had already calculated the income from several other sources.

Overall, his income in January was poor, but still better than he had anticipated.

With no income from the stalls, Ronan temporarily handed over the market to a few employees. Due to the cold snap in January, there were few people at the market, and Ronan shared all the money he earned with them.

He plans to bring the stall back and manage it himself in March when temperatures rise and tourists start returning to Provence.

The knitting business isn't doing too well this month either.

The weather dampened the enthusiasm of Provençal residents for renovating and decorating their homes; this month, knitting only earned them a little over 14,000 pesos, less than half of what they earned in December.

Of course, this is also because a batch of Christmas wreaths were sold in December.

However, after finishing this piece, Ronan will be frequently showing his face in Gold, where he and Barty will work together to promote the knitting.

Cotillard said that important people have been arriving in Provence one after another, and this kind of expensive and niche item should be able to find a few 'destined people'.

The restaurant's revenue has also decreased, which is unavoidable; the weather is still affecting business.

To Ronan's surprise, the income from truffles was higher than expected.

In December, Ronan spent more than 20 days in the mountains and sold 130,000 francs worth of truffles.

Throughout January, he spent half his time battling the cold, and Ronan only went into the mountains for a little over ten days, but he still earned 100,000 francs, thanks to the 'unconventional' Mr. Alphonse.

His orders were not only high-priced, but they also forced Ronan to work without rest, spending his days digging and digging.

"So in January, I earned a total of 149,000 francs—" Ronan quickly calculated in his mind.

But in December, including that top-quality truffle, his income exceeded 300,000 francs. In January, it was halved.

After calculating income, calculate savings.

By the end of December, Ronan had 240,000 francs in savings.

He then gave Batti 75,000 francs to build a workshop in the backyard, and spent 20,000 francs to prepare gifts for everyone during the Spring Festival.

A month later, his savings had increased by only a little over 5 yuan.

"The weather is really slowing down our earning speed," Ronan remarked before leaving the restaurant.

In the afternoon, Louis called Ronan and said he was cooking for dinner and asked if he wanted to come over and try it.

To protect Zoe's safety, Ronan agreed and bravely went to the appointment.

After Leah started working at the restaurant, Ronan's restaurant became Louis's family canteen.

When the best cook isn't home, the wisest thing for the other family members to do is not to cook, and that's often the case.

So today, as soon as Ronan entered the Louis house, he asked Zoe, who opened the door for him:

Why is your dad cooking today? And isn't he working overtime today?

Zoe glanced back at Vieri's room, and seeing that the door was tightly closed, she whispered:

“My dad has been coming home very early this past week, and I suspect there might be something wrong with his work. I’m worried that this situation has been going on for longer than I’ve known about it.”

Zoe spent the entire month of January preparing her work for the Gold Art Exhibition. Occasionally, when she wanted to relax, she would go to Ronan's restaurant to chat with her colleagues. She didn't pay attention to Louis's work schedule.

She only recently realized that her father was coming home very early every day, and sometimes he could even have lunch at home.

But last year he would work overtime until very late every day and was known far and wide as a very busy person.

Zoe was very worried; this situation had been going on for a long time, but they had all ignored it.

"No way, your dad is so capable, how could something go wrong?" Ronan glanced at the kitchen where the loud chopping sounds were coming from, and asked in a low voice after making sure that Louis wouldn't hear their conversation.

Zoe sighed with concern:
“Actually, I was comforting myself like that a few days ago. You know, Dad’s job has always been smooth and stable. He’s the best real estate agent in Lourmaran. But last night when Mom came home, she asked Dad what time he got off work, and I clearly heard him say 6 o’clock. But yesterday he was already sitting on the sofa watching TV at 3 o’clock. I feel like he’s deliberately hiding something from Mom.”

Ronan's expression also turned serious:
"The cold wave has affected his business."

This natural disaster affected not only agriculture and animal husbandry, but also all the residents of Provence.

Zoe nodded:

"It should be, but Dad doesn't want us to worry."

“I’ll go talk to him.” Ronan walked toward the kitchen.

Zoe suddenly grabbed him and said in a complicated tone:

"Don't be fooled by my dad's amiable demeanor. He has a strong sense of pride and always wants to be number one. You can try to subtly probe him, but if he doesn't want to talk, don't force him."

Ronan kissed Zoe on the cheek:
"Of course I understand what kind of person Louis is. Don't worry, I'm just going to give him some words of concern."

"Thank you." Zoe hugged Ronan.

"May I come in?" Ronan asked in a lighthearted tone at the kitchen doorway.

Louis turned around and gave a big smile:

“I’m so glad you accepted the invitation, otherwise you might have missed out on Lourmarin’s best ‘eggplant caviar’.”

Eggplant caviar, despite its name, has nothing to do with fish roe.

It got its name from the fact that it tastes just as delicious as caviar when spread on bread, and some people call it poor man's caviar.

“Eggplant and caviar?” Ronan walked over excitedly and said with delight, “I was telling my mom I wanted to eat this just the day before yesterday. God, I’m so happy.”

Louis chuckled smugly and continued peeling the eggplant.

Ronan chatted with Louis while observing his state and emotions.

Louis would proactively tell Ronan interesting stories about the news and his friends, and he could even laugh out loud at Ronan's jokes—he seemed to have no problem at all.

"Maybe Zoe and I are overthinking it," Ronan muttered to himself.

“Eggplant, tomatoes, onions, fennel, star anise, mint, yogurt, pepper, basil, thyme, and goat cheese—” Louis pointed to each ingredient as if calling out a name, then happily said to Ronan, “The ingredients are all here! I’ll go roast the eggplant.”

Steaming is not a cooking method in the Provençal culinary system.

If they want to soften or mash the ingredients, they usually choose to grill them over a fire, which gives the ingredients a smoky aroma.

"I'll wash my hands and then I'll help you." After observing Louis, Ronan decided to lend a hand.

It's a miracle that this guy has been in the kitchen for so long without causing any trouble.

However, we must not be overly optimistic and assume that there will be no problems in the future.

The residents of Luberon all had their barbecue grills in their yards. When Ronan came out after washing his hands, he witnessed an eggplant 'explode' and splatter juice all over Louis.

Eggplant sauce is delicious, but it tends to explode when baked. The solution is to poke a few holes in it before baking.

For the residents of Lourmaran, who use ovens for more than 300 days a year, this is as basic as 1+1 equals.

Ronan, suppressing a laugh, went over to Louis, intending to jokingly say:
See, I was just about to praise you when you got into trouble. Go change your clothes!
But before that, he saw Louis look down dejectedly at his soiled clothes and say in a very soft voice:
"This is something I'm really good at, so why can't I do it again?"

Ronan's eyes narrowed slightly.

It seems there really is some problem.

(End of this chapter)