1986: My Happy Life in Provence

Chapter 315 The Old Era Has Passed
Ronan pretended not to notice anything amiss, walked over and 'taunted' Louis as usual, then suggested:
"Why don't we wash the oil stains off the shirt before Leah gets home, so we don't have to listen to too many unnecessary complaints tonight?"

Louis's condition has returned to normal.

As usual, the blame was shifted to anything other than oneself:
"Actually, I pierced these eggplants with a fork. It must be a problem with the forks, or it could be the eggplants themselves. You know, people in Provence love to improve agricultural products. Maybe I bought eggplants with double the juice."

"Alright, give me these eggplants that are twice as juicy, you go and take care of your clothes." Ronan picked up another pair of barbecue tongs.

Louis did not leave his post:
"Make dinner first. Vieri said he was hungry when he came back."

Ronan and Louis stood side by side, roasting eggplant, and Ronan asked casually, as if chatting with old friends:
Have house prices in Lourmaran risen again recently? What's the housing market like in Luberon?

Louis answered skillfully:
"It dropped a bit last month, but it's held steady recently. However, houses in Gold have been going up because of the arts festival you attended."

Ronan turned his head and asked unexpectedly:
"You're still selling houses in Gold? Aren't you only selling within the Lesser Luberon area?"

Louis chuckled twice:
“There are more real estate agents than tourists in Luberon now. The latest edition of the telephone directory has six whole pages of real estate agent contact information. How can I possibly pick and choose my clients?”

Ronan nodded.

Perhaps it wasn't just the January cold snap that affected Louis's work; the booming Provence housing market also intensified competition in the industry.

The skyrocketing housing prices in the latter half of last year led more residents to enter this industry.

"And you, how have you been lately? Is work going well?" Ronan asked in a relaxed tone.

To avoid making Louis too sensitive, Ronan kept his eyes on the barbecue grill and his hands never stopped moving, as if he hadn't thought things through when he asked the question.

Louis said in a nonchalant tone:

"is acceptable."

"That's good," Ronan said with a smile.

That night, Ronan cautiously tried twice more, but Louis had no desire to confide in him and eventually had to give up.

This former best farmer and current best real estate agent in Lourmaran doesn't want to talk about work.

However, based on his observation of Louis throughout the night, Ronan deduced that the problem was not very serious.

If he were truly on the verge of 'unemployment,' Louis probably wouldn't care whether he cleaned up his clothes before Leah returned home.

After dinner, Louis returned to his bedroom to "cover up the evidence," and Vieri went back to his studies. Ronan quietly said to Zoe:

Louis wouldn't say much, but the situation doesn't seem too serious. Perhaps business is just slow, and once the temperature rises, those wealthy people will remember their houses in Provence again.

"I hope so," Zoe's expression didn't lighten.

Ronan patted the back of her hand and comforted her:
“Let’s all pay more attention to Louis lately.”

Zoe nestled into Ronan's arms:
"It's my fault for being too careless before. I always thought my dad was a 'superman' who couldn't be defeated by anything."

In the corridor behind the two, Vieri, who came out to get something, overheard Ronan and Zoe's entire conversation.

He looked toward his parents' bedroom, a thoughtful expression on his face.

Vieri will be taking his high school graduation exams in four months, and to create a good learning environment and mood for him, he doesn't have to do any housework right now.

Winter is not a good time for outdoor sports.

After school and during holidays, he stays in his bedroom, only coming out to eat, and no one bothers him otherwise.

Leah once joked with other women at the restaurant that if Vieri hadn't insisted on coming to the restaurant every day, the two of them would never have run into each other at home.

But this same Vieri who "disappeared" as soon as he got home actually came to the living room to watch TV that very evening.

"Tired of studying?" Louis asked, holding the remote control.

Vieri, holding a glass of water and looking at the screen on the television in front of him, said:

"Mom will be watching Ronan make a new dessert tonight, so she won't be back until after 7 pm. She won't be home until 8 or 9 pm."

Louis preferred reading newspapers, and sometimes he would watch television at night so that Leah could see her husband the moment she opened the door.

This couple pays great attention to details and romance.

Louis smiled and shrugged.

“I know, your mother is getting more and more capable now, you can tell by how often she ‘works overtime’.”

The restaurant does not accept orders after 7:30 pm.

Leah stayed behind to "work overtime" because she wanted to do something, and most of the time it was to improve her skills.

Vieri took a sip of the water in his glass:

“My mom really likes this job, I can tell.”

Louis nodded with a smile:

“I can also see that your mother not only likes this job, but also has great ambitions. She will definitely become an excellent pastry chef in the future.”

It's been a long time since I've chatted with my son. Vieri came out on his own initiative again today. Louis asked with concern:

"How's your exam preparation? Did it go smoothly?" Vieri shrugged.
"So be it. Even if you don't sleep every day, you might still not get into university. I'm very calm about it, and I hope you can be calm about it too."

For example, in 1986, the pass rate for the Bac (high school graduation exam) in France was about 60%-65%, but in the Luberon region, the pass rate was only 35%-45%, indicating that the quality of teachers was still somewhat different from that in towns.

However, the Bac is a pass/fail exam.

Children who pass the exam can register directly for local schools in Provence with their Bac certificate without further selection. However, if they wish to attend elite schools, they will need to take additional exams.

However, only about 2% of high school students in Luberon consider elite universities. Even Zoe only took the regular Bac exam and went to a university in Nice.

Louis spread his hands out:

"We're both very calm about it. At least I'm a professional. Have you decided what you want to study?"

Vieri shook his head:
"No, but I don't really want to go into farming. If I pass the exam, I might choose a career that would be helpful for becoming a real estate agent in the future."

Louis was silent for a few seconds before speaking:

"Actually, you can choose a career you like, there's no need to listen to me."

Vieri suddenly laughed:
“But I remember you were telling everyone last month that real estate brokerage is the best job in Luberon, especially now that even a fool can make money in Luberon.”

Louis smiled wryly and said:
Everything has two sides.

“For example?” Vieri asked, looking at his father.

Louis chuckled twice and shook his head, saying:

"That's definitely the type of story you least want to hear. It will make you feel bad after hearing it. Let me put it this way, sometimes even thinking about things at work affects my mood."

Vieri often avoids talking to his family, so how could he have the patience to listen to such rubbish?
But Vieri looked directly into Louis's eyes and said:

"Ronan said that you can only truly grow by interacting with more people and things. I'd like to hear about the things that make you feel bad."

Louis wanted to refuse outright, but he couldn't bear to give up such a wonderful opportunity for father and son to chat. This was a scene he had always wanted to see—father and son talking intimately like friends.

He moved his lips a few times, and finally nodded:

"Okay, then I'll tell you about it."

Vieri leaned forward slightly and listened patiently.

Louis patted his knee, slowly opening up:

“Buyers who come to Luberon to buy houses are usually city dwellers or foreigners, but the sellers are all local villagers. You should know that in the eyes of most villagers, ‘agree’ and ‘promise’ are two different things, especially when house prices change every day.”

“Last month, a villager in Mena village sold his old house. The buyer accepted his offer without any negotiation. He immediately suspected that the price was too low, and this suspicion can add endless pain to future transactions. For example, when signing the contract, it might be suddenly announced that the well next to the house or certain items in the house were not included in the initial price. Similar things have been happening frequently in every cooperation in recent months. And for example—”

As he spoke, Louis leaned back on the sofa, as if he were talking to Vieri, or perhaps dissecting his own inner thoughts:

"The booming real estate market in Provence has changed the mindset of both buyers and sellers, and the number of people working in the industry has surged. The old days when you could make money just by being professional and patient are over. But some people adapt faster, some adapt slower, and some may be eliminated by the market."

Seeing that Louis had finished speaking, Vieri also leaned back on the sofa:
So, are you a slow adapter, or even slower?

Louis's face instantly darkened, but a few seconds later he burst out laughing again:
"You're definitely not suited to be a real estate agent; your communication skills are terrible."

Vieri tilted his head slightly, showing no emotion.
"But my analysis is correct, right? Your performance isn't the best in the company anymore?"

Louis couldn't laugh this time; his face darkened as he looked at the television and said:
"You should go back to your studies."

Vieri didn't leave immediately, and continued:
"Dad, we need to face our ordinariness. No one can be number one forever, and that's okay."

Louis seemed engrossed in the melodramatic TV show, refusing to respond to anything Vieri said.

Vieri, finding the conversation uninteresting, said a few words and then left to go back to his studies.

After his son left, Louis let out a long sigh.

A few months ago, he might have been able to accept that he was an ordinary person and stop striving to be number one in something.

But a lot has happened in the past six months.

His daughter became the most famous emerging artist in Provence, and countless admirers moved to Lourmarin to live and work for her.

His wife became Lourmaran's only licensed pastry chef, and with Ronan's help, Leah's future career looked bright.

His family members are all doing better and better, but he, the "pillar of the family," is facing a major problem in his career, which is showing signs of decline.

Louis understood Vieri's reasoning, but the sense of loss he felt couldn't be eased with just a few words, though he was trying.

Suddenly, Vieri's voice rang out behind Louis again:
“My dad, mom, and sister are all outstanding, while I am just ordinary. But that doesn’t stop me from loving them, from being loved, or from living my life. I understand how you feel, but keeping unhappy things inside doesn’t solve anything. I’m so glad Ronan was willing to listen to my story, so I look forward to hearing more about your work. You can come to me anytime if you need anything.”

Louis turned around and only saw Vieri's back as he went back into the house.

He smiled and shook his head:

"He's really grown up."

(End of this chapter)