1986: My Happy Life in Provence

Chapter 345 Generous Patricia
Miss Patricia has had enough time to play in Gold and is going back to school in Aix.

Ronan and Zoe made a trip to Gold before she left to thank her in person as the 'friend' who had been the biggest help to them in the series of events.

Indeed, Patricia strongly urged Zoe not to treat her as a 'collector' but as a friend.

"The friendship between you and Miss Patricia is even more touching than that between Marini and Gabriel."

Ronan has been in a particularly good mood lately because of the fruitful trip to Gold, and he kept joking around with Zoe along the way.

However, this statement cannot be considered a joke.

Gabriel told Ronan the story of how he spent lavishly at an auction to help his struggling sculptor friend, Marini.

But each time he could only spend tens of thousands of francs.

This time, Miss Patricia spent hundreds of thousands of francs on her friend Zoe, and if you add her friend's boyfriend's share, it reaches over a million francs!

Zoe's three artworks do not require 'national treasure' certification, so the taxes are easy to calculate.

Moreover, Miss Patricia readily paid all the money without installments, so Zoe had another mission in Gold: to collect her check.

If Ronan's calculations are correct, the amount written on that check should be close to 40 francs.

Zoe's earnings at Gold this time were no less than Ronan's!
Even in 1987, when house prices were soaring, this check would have allowed her to buy a house in a good location in Lourmarin.

Zoe was naturally in a very good mood.

Of course I'm happy to have made so much money!
She chatted and laughed the whole way, and even the thought of that dreadful order wasn't so painful anymore:

“Miss Patricia is a very lovely girl. I believe this collaboration will be much more pleasant and perhaps not as bad as we imagine.”

"Did you tell her you were going to take that order?" Ronan asked with a smile.

Zoe shook her head:

"No, I plan to talk to you in person when we meet today, and also ask about the specifics, just in case I'm completely unable to meet the requirements of that project."

For over a week, Ronan had been coming to Gold every day, becoming almost as familiar with the area as Mena Village. Today, as soon as he entered the Bird's Nest Village area of ​​Gold, he muttered something to himself:
"There are far fewer tourists in Gold; it seems the event is coming to an end."

The roads in Gold used to be lined with parked cars, but now the roads near the village entrance are empty. Ronan hadn't paid special attention to Gold's event schedule, but he figured the good exhibitions had probably already ended.

Zoe looked out the window and said:
“Many of my artist friends have also called me to say they are leaving.”

It wasn't just Miss Patricia who was going home; many people were ending their art trip and returning to their lives.

Looking at the spire of Gold Church in the distance, Ronan couldn't help but sigh:
"I will miss this crazy month."

Zoe propped her head up and murmured:

"This past month has been so dreamlike for me, like a dream."

Some dreams end, some dreams never end.

When Ronan and Zoe arrived at Miss Patricia's hotel and discovered that she was accompanied by more than a dozen people, they still felt that being able to become friends with such a wealthy woman was a hard-to-accept dream.

However, Miss Patricia's enthusiasm and approachability brought back a bit of the real world to their minds.

"Zoe... this won't be the last time we see each other, will it?" Patricia had only just met Zoe when she started to act like it was her last, and she slumped down completely.

“Of course not,” Zoe comforted her like an older sister. “I also go to Exx often. If your time allows, we can arrange to meet up.”

Patricia opened her eyes wide with happiness:

"Really? Really? I'll leave you my home phone number and address right away!"

As Patricia went to get paper and pen, Zoe mouthed to Ronan:
"She's so cute, I really can't bear to refuse her."

Ronan looked back with encouraging eyes, supporting Zoe's decision.

After Patricia left her contact information, Zoe asked proactively:
"What's the situation with that order you mentioned before? Can you tell me about it?"

Patricia's eyes widened again:
"You've changed your mind?"

Although Zoe's heart had already tipped, she did not lose her composure and calmly replied:
"I'd like to understand the situation first."

“Okay, okay, let me tell you about it.” Patricia said with burning eyes, “My good friend is having a birthday party soon. Her father is in the shipping business, and she has always longed for the sea. I wanted to give her an art piece with a seagull or other ocean-related animal. You were the first person I thought of. She would definitely like your work. We have many of the same interests!”

Upon hearing about the boat business, Ronan couldn't help but chuckle, a thought flashing through his mind. Zoe and Patricia both looked at him, puzzled as to what he was laughing at.

Ronan awkwardly touched his nose:
“Excuse me, but I was reminded of the news that Madame Sanson heard her seventh husband was the old shipping magnate of Marseille.”

Patricia also laughed out loud, and the louder she laughed, the louder she became.

Seemingly realizing that her actions violated the code of 'ladylike conduct,' she covered her mouth with a handkerchief and said haltingly:
"Well, actually, my friend's father is the new shipping magnate of Marseille. She will be calling Ms. Sanson 'Grandma' at the end of this year."

Ronan was so frightened that he stopped laughing and exchanged a glance with Zoe.

God, was this a birthday present for the new shipping magnate's daughter?
Patricia laughed for a long time before stopping, and, unaware of the actual situation, she tried her best to explain:
“In the past, giving my friends birthday gifts every year was a huge headache for me, but now I’ve come up with a great idea: I can just give them things I like. So Zoe, if you can’t accept my birthday gift because you’re preparing for your wedding, I have another good friend whose birthday is at the end of the year. Could you do that order for her?”

Ronan asked curiously:

"Does your friend also like animals?"

Patricia nodded vigorously:
“Her father is the King of the Kamalghorst, and her family has more than 3000 Kamalghorst horses. I want to give her a piece of horse art.”

Even Zoe couldn't help but touch her nose this time.

A Kamalghorse can cost between 5000 and 20000 francs.

How much would 3000+ Kamalgmar cost?
After that, Patricia listed several other friends who needed birthday gifts.

Listening to her description, Ronan had only one thought—the friends of the daughter of a tourism tycoon in Provence, who was also the child of tycoons in various industries in Provence.

Provence is indeed a place filled with 'circles' everywhere.

During Patricia's speech, Ronan kept giving Zoe meaningful glances:
Answer it! You absolutely have to answer it!
A rich girl can buy your stuff for hundreds of thousands of francs. Once your work enters their circle, our children might also be qualified to enter their circle!

We have to accept this order for the sake of the next generation!

Zoe had no intention of hiding anything from the simple-minded Patricia. She told her that she only had time to process orders until mid-March and that she would try her best to do a good job, but that she didn't have as much time as she did when she made the mermaid.

Patricia was so excited she almost spilled her tea.

"Enough, enough, plenty of time! My dad is a picky person; he always wants everything to be done perfectly, but I'm not like that. I'm just happy that you're willing to accept the offer, and I definitely won't interfere with your ideas!"

Thus, the two parties reached a cooperation agreement relatively smoothly.

Patricia's 'generosity' made Zoe not regret her decision—she offered 10 francs for the birthday gift.

With this 10 francs, Zoe's earnings from this trip to Gold were enough to buy a house in the 'Golden Triangle'.

Patricia Nazoi and Ronan treated each other as friends and insisted on having them stay for lunch.

At the dinner table, Ronan asked, on a whim:
“Miss Patricia, do you know a lady named Astrid?”

Blanco's ability to name a 'château winery' demonstrates the Lourmarin government's deep understanding of rosé wine.

Ronan's two "assignments" for himself have yet to be completed.

One purpose is to learn from the operational experience of excellent wineries, and the other is to understand the mature business model of museum-perfume.

The second learning task inevitably involves Ms. Astrid's identity.

Ronan speculated that her family made money using the well-established business model of museums and perfumes.

Miss Patricia's high-end network of connections is terrifying. Will she know Astrid?
Patricia's little face showed hesitation, clearly she was not familiar with the name.

But after thinking for a few seconds, she suddenly clapped her hands:

“I remember now, the Fox family seems to have a lady named Astrid!”

“The Fox family?” Ronan asked in surprise. “What do they do?”

Patricia generously shared her knowledge of the family:

"This family is very old. I don't know where they originated, but they started doing perfume business in the early 16th century. They are famous in Provence for creating an Imperial Lavender perfume for the Empress during the Napoleonic era. During World War II, they supplied antibacterial lavender essential oil to the French army. In modern times, their business empire has grown larger and larger, providing custom perfume raw materials for brands such as Guerlain and L'Artisan Parfumour."

Suddenly, she paused.

For the first time, an expression of envy appeared on the face of the daughter of this Provençal tourism tycoon:
"In 1968, the Fox family signed a contract with Chanel, becoming a core ingredient supplier for perfumes such as N°5 and N°19. This family is truly amazing!"

(End of this chapter)