1986: My Happy Life in Provence

Chapter 344 The Chain Reaction Begins to Emerge

Ronan's heart pounded wildly.

A castle winery is a very high-end winery management model.

It is mostly found in wine-producing regions such as Bordeaux, the Loire Valley, and Provence.

Its core is to integrate winemaking traditions, pastoral aesthetics and high-end accommodations through an immersive experience.

Ronan later had the opportunity to visit a high-end winery in Bordeaux. That winery not only sold wines, provided accommodation and catering, but also hosted large-scale events, and its derivative products were quite impressive.

After the entire experience, Ronan concluded that it was a 'three-dimensional luxury' that combined drinking, investment, and cultural worship.

The Lourmaran government is actually planning to build a 'castle winery'?!

Good heavens, aren't they being too optimistic about the budget the tourism board gave them?
“I also believe the tourism board will approve Lourmaran’s budget request, after all, things are really different here now, but—” Ronan said cautiously, “I see a lot of things to do in your plans, maybe we should take it one step at a time, starting with infrastructure?”

Ronan certainly hoped that the 'Castle Winery' project could be successfully implemented, as it was closely related to him. However, for Lourmarin at this time, it was more important to proceed step by step, focusing on basic tourism development and village construction. At this point, it was best not to think about high-end things.

The officials present exchanged a few smiles, and Claude answered Ronan's question:
“All of the planning and upgrades for the Vaucluse province over the past decade and for the next decade have been focused on the tourism sector. The tourism bureau’s ‘generosity’ far exceeds your imagination. Otherwise, the villages of Mena and Bonnillo could not have become the ‘golden triangle’ of Luberon in just five or six years, on par with the historic Gordes.”

When this topic comes up, Sylvie is even more grateful to Ronan:

"According to our information, both Menna and Bonnillo mentioned the village's future 'artistic' attributes when applying for budgets from the Vaucluse department. This is a very powerful 'lever,' and you should know how important art is in the history of Provence. We have already taken the first step in this 'artistic' direction—"

Blanco looked at Ronan gently:

"It is you, Zoe, Batty, and the artists you have attracted to settle or stay in Lourmaran that have completed the last piece of the map in Lourmaran's application to the tourism board. It is because of you that we are convinced that this time we will succeed, and we may even get better resources than in Mena and Bonnillo."

"The number of artists can affect the amount of funding you can apply for?" Ronan stared wide-eyed in disbelief.

Doesn't this create a closed loop?
Because they wanted to start a rosé wine business, they worked hard to attract artists.

With a larger number of artists, the Vaucluse Tourism Board will increase its support for the Lourmaran government.

The Lourmaran government received a sufficient budget to build a 'castle winery,' which in turn benefited Ronan.

Blanco said in a firm tone:

“That’s right. In fact, the province of Vaucluse has already taken notice of Lourmaran’s artistic character. Gordes hosted such a large-scale art event, so it’s no wonder that the government is paying attention. And you are so prominent in Gordes. They have already taken the initiative to ask me about the art situation in Lourmaran.”

"Then hurry up and apply for the budget!" Ronan said anxiously.

Strike while the iron is hot.

Don't wait until early March!
Blanco calmly tapped the table a few times:
“No, now is not the time. The ripple effects you, Zoe, and Batty have caused in Gold are far from over. We need to impress the province of Vaucluse with the best data and performance so that they will provide us with the best resources.”

Sylvie sighed silently:

“Recently, we have not only been working on infrastructure upgrade plans, but also on several versions of disaster compensation plans. There are many areas that require funding. In short, we need to be fully prepared before applying for this budget. Although it will take some time, we believe it will be absolutely worth it.”

Due to the Moli Winery Cooperative, the area of ​​vineyards within the Lourmarin region is extremely large.

But villagers in other villages who grow other crops already know about the extent of the disaster.

The Lourmaran government knows how many tourists visit Lourmaran every month, so they are certainly aware of this important agricultural information.

Although the grapevines haven't sprouted yet, they've already prepared for the worst.

A warm feeling welled up from the bottom of Ronan's heart.

It turns out the government did not ignore the farmers affected by the cold wave.
Blanco's warm voice enveloped Ronan, warming his heart even more.
"Lourmaran will definitely get better and better in the future, and this improvement will be comprehensive. We will not abandon or ignore the interests of any villager."

Sylvie assured Ronan in a firm tone:

"As soon as the budget is secured, we will immediately announce the cold wave compensation plan. Please believe us. We will do our best to help farmers transition and rebuild after the disaster."

Living in Lourmaran brought Ronan immense happiness and peace of mind. He spoke with a mixture of excitement and gratitude to the people in the room:

"Thank you. Thank you all."

After leaving the government building, Ronan immediately rushed back to the restaurant.

Claude said that recently many tourists have come to Lourmaran, and they all come specifically for Ronan's restaurant.

The restaurant must be doing very well this month, right?

Ronan's habit is to reconcile the accounts with his mother at the end of each month, but he clearly remembers that recently there have been quite a few people returning to the restaurant no matter how late it is, so business in February must be good, but he doesn't know how 'good' it is.

To Ronan's surprise, the answer he received after asking the question startled him.

“估计这个月的利润能赶上去年10月份。”冯珍没有什么波澜的说。    去年10月份餐厅开业那个月利润直接超过了10万法郎，但后来因为天气和各种各样的原因，始终在3-5万的范围内上下波动。

Is that really the case?

"Business is so good, why did you only say 'the restaurant is doing okay' when everyone was having dinner and talking about the cold wave, work, and income the other day? This is not okay, it's obviously super good!" Ronan asked his mother, puzzled.

Not only did she not understand why he wasn't told such great news, but she also didn't understand why her mother's tone was so calm.

Feng Zhen waved her hands twice in front of her, her voice lowering:
"That day, everyone was talking about how bad they were and how they were affected, while I said how great we were. That would have stirred up a lot of resentment. What if people felt resentful? We're all friends, I have to consider everyone's feelings."

Ronan tilted his head back slightly in surprise:
"Mom, you actually know to think before you speak now. You weren't like this before."

Ronan's parents had very different personalities.

Luo Tianhai thinks a lot and is very meticulous, but he doesn't like to talk.

Mother Feng Zhen is the other extreme; she's carefree, speaks without thinking, and doesn't hold back when she says things.

Feng Zhen pouted and said with dissatisfaction:

"You and your father have been growing while I've been standing still? Your father doesn't come out much from the kitchen, and our family business is so big, isn't it necessary for me to support it all by myself? Shouldn't I think more about this?"

Ronan chuckled at his mother's words and asked in a joking tone:

"How big is our business?"

You're making it sound like we own thousands of acres of fertile land.

Feng Zhen smacked her lips, tapped the ledger, and said:
"Winter is almost over, the travel season is about to begin, and the profit in February was already 100,000 francs. Once the weather warms up and the backyard opens up, the monthly profit will easily reach 200,000 to 300,000 francs. Right now, the monthly profit is only 100,000 francs. What do I have to be proud of?"

Ronan was speechless after his mother's words, and could only give her a thumbs up:

"Our family's big business in the future will depend on you and Dad."

It might have been because I talked to my mother about the restaurant's February revenue, or it might have been because I talked to Blanco and others about Gold's art exhibition during the day.

That night, Ronan lay in bed and reflected on what he had learned from his trip to Gold.

The gains in identity, fame, and status are certainly the most obvious, and Ronan believes that they may be even greater than the direct income brought by the 'lovebird'.

After this event, he and Zoe undoubtedly became celebrities in Provence, and were considered 'big shots' by others.

Especially Ronan.

How many works of art in Provence can be considered 'national treasures'?

To put it bluntly, Ronan could live off the lovebirds alone in Provence for the rest of his life!

However, Ronan certainly wouldn't be satisfied with just that.

The immense prestige he has received in the art world can be a very effective way to help him implement the Pink Winery project.

Meanwhile, thanks to Ronan's influence, Cafu's sales team gathered a large number of potential high-end craft customers in Gold.

No matter which direction the 'Lourmaran Handicraft Cooperative' develops in the future, they can find precise customer targets in a short period of time.

Through Batty's description, Ronan learned that the number of knitting orders had increased again this month.

However, the economic boost that Gold brought to Ronan was not limited to weaving orders.

The restaurant's increased revenue is also inseparable from everything that happened in Gold.

At the same time, Ronan also gained another skill: making money.

The sale of "Lovebirds" for over 370,000 francs will bring Ronan at least 200,000 francs in income. If the policy for "national treasure" artworks is approved, this figure may be even higher, as it can result in a 50% tax reduction.

Previously, the harvest season in Ronan was during the few months of winter when truffles were picked.

Every month that followed was a bountiful one for Ronan—the restaurant had a steady stream of customers, the handicraft business expanded its reach, and he could also earn money by creating artworks.

In 1987, Ronan's economy was bound to skyrocket.

but--

“But Blanco said that the ripple effects of me, Zoe, and Batty in Gold are far from over. What else could it be?” Ronan rolled over, a look of anticipation on his face.

(End of this chapter)