1986: My Happy Life in Provence

Chapter 368 No one can stop me from approving the budget!

Willie was a little disoriented after coming out of the restroom, so Cornell offered to take him to find his friend.

The two were about the same age, and Cornell was so enthusiastic; they chatted the whole way.

The dutiful Willie hadn't forgotten the purpose of his trip, and asked Cornell:
"What's your job?"

Cornell laughed like a 200-pound child:

“I do a lot of jobs: farming, delivering goods, driving trucks, doing odd jobs in restaurants, helping out when someone is renovating, and I also do handicrafts.”

Willie sighed silently, thinking that this was too unstable. This must be an optimistic young man struggling to survive in the cracks, so he encouraged him:
"Although there aren't many job opportunities in Lourmaran, as long as you work hard, you'll definitely have a good life."

Cornell chuckled, a laugh that sent chills down Willie's spine.
"Yes, we're about to start living a good life, under Ronan's leadership!"

This was the second time Willie had heard Ronan's name; the first time was from the stall owner who sold farm tools.

Before he could find out who Ronan was, Cornell finished his task and jogged away.

"Goodbye, I'm off to 'class' now. Have a great time in Lourmaran!"

Willie tilted his head, puzzled.

Attend class?

Lourmaran doesn't have its own schools.

When Willie rejoined the main force, Quincy and Ellian were examining the large loudspeakers at the entrance of the old church.

“In the summer, I organize villagers to watch movies here; the loudspeaker is for showing the movies,” Blanco explained to the officials.

Ellian raised an eyebrow in surprise.

They seem to value the spiritual world of their residents. But can the villagers of Luberon even understand movies?
The church was one of the important landmarks during this visit.

This is a must-see attraction for tourists visiting Lourmaran.

The old Gothic church wasn't particularly interesting, like any other village church, but a painting on the votive wall at the church entrance caught the attention of several officials.

It was a painting nearly a meter long, densely covered with food.

The food in the painting was so vivid and lifelike that Willie couldn't help but swallow.

I'm getting hungry just looking at this.
Elian clicked his tongue in amazement and said to Quincy:

"I didn't expect Lourmaran to have such a strong artistic atmosphere. The portrait is like a work of art, and the theme is so interesting."

Blanco was also admiring the painting intently, and said with a smile:
"When Ronan painted this picture, he wasn't an artist yet; he was just an ordinary villager. We don't know what he wished for, but he created something so unique. Oh, by the way, he was the one who inspired the villagers to build houses."

Quincy emitted a distinctly questioning nasal sound:

"Were these two things done by the same person?"

Willie coughed violently, reminding his two seniors that they had said too much!
Didn't we say we shouldn't show our emotions?
Look how curious you all are!
Quincy chuckled twice and changed the subject:

“Now I know why you care so much about this painting. It’s lunchtime, isn’t it? I’ve heard there’s a very famous restaurant in Lourmarin. Let’s go check it out.”

Blanco pointed in a direction:
“Let’s go, that’s now Lourmaran’s most famous attraction.”

The market in Lourmaran was quiet, but the commercial street was quite crowded, with customers visiting several shops along the roadside.

Ellian lowered his voice and said to his two colleagues:
“The Lourmarin shopping street has always had good foot traffic since it opened, and it is one of the busiest shopping streets in Luberon.”

The shopping street is also one of the important sites that the tourism bureau inspects; this project was mentioned in Lourmaran's application last year.

The tourism board didn't provide funding, but the Lourmaran government paid for the repairs themselves.

Quincy pointed to the largest building on the high street and asked:
What is the theme of this museum?

Blanco gently pressed down on his palm:
"After dinner, we'll go to the conference room, where I'll give you a proper introduction to the museum's theme."

Blanco had given prior notice, and Feng Zhen had reserved the best seats for them.

Upon taking their seats, the tourism officials immediately sensed a strong artistic atmosphere.

The guests at the table not far in front of them were talking about Voltaire. On a table to their left were four drawing boards, and a female writer was writing a script with a pen by the door, surrounded by people offering her advice.

Quincy and Ellian exchanged glances for what seemed like the umpteenth time.

Investigating the art scene in Lourmaran was the most important task of this trip, and so far, it seems to be quite good.

The atmosphere here is similar to some of the taverns, cafes and restaurants in Bonnillo and Mena, but those places were developed into what they are now after receiving funding.

Lourmaran, on the other hand, developed into what it is today on its own.

What would Lourmaran look like if more funds were invested?

Quincy was even more surprised than Ellian.

He saw rosé wine in the hands of many guests, and it seemed to be more popular here than in Gordes, Menard, and Bonnillo.

"A coincidence?" Quincy silently withdrew his gaze.

Elian was also observing her surroundings, because she noticed another very important detail:

"Why are all the waitresses at this restaurant women? Have all the men gone out to work?"

Only after the attentive Ellian pointed it out did the two men notice this detail.

In Luberon, it is usually men who go out to work, while women stay at home to take care of their families and children.

Blanco shook his head:
"Not many people from Lourmaran go out to work; the men stay in the village."

Quincy asked seriously:

"Then why can't I see any men?"

He seems to have already spotted the signs of a 'hidden danger'!

"Has everyone finished eating?" Blanco asked politely. "If you're done, let's go to the next place, which is in the kitchen of this restaurant."

Ellian had worked at the tourism bureau for over a decade and had never visited a restaurant kitchen.

They are the tourism bureau, not a business alliance!
What's interesting to see in the kitchen?

Despite being extremely dissatisfied with the itinerary arranged by Blanco, she unexpectedly saw the 'view' she had always wanted to see in her life in the kitchen.

Not only were all the waitresses in the front of house female, but the kitchen staff, except for one person who claimed to be the "boss's father," were also all women.

"This is Lia, Lourmaran's first pastry chef," Blanco proudly introduced to everyone.

Leah, who was beating egg whites, playfully 'corrected':
"It's not Lourmaran who's first, it's Luberon who's first. I'm the first female pastry chef in Luberon to get a CAP certificate, and I'm even at Level 3!"

"Haha, how could I have missed such crucial information!" Blanco joked. "Has our pastry chef created anything new lately?"

Leah raised a hand, dropping a finger with each sentence she spoke:
"Last week, we developed a lotus-shaped cake, updated the chocolate used in 'Hope' (customers commented that it melted too quickly in the hot weather), made a Chinese-style flaky pastry dessert with 'red date paste' filling (we haven't named it yet), and also developed a fruit dessert with Ronan."

Ellian swore that this was the scene she most wanted to see in Luberon—women chatting enthusiastically about their work, their eyes and expressions filled with a feeling called confidence.

“Hello Leah, can you tell me your story?” Elian asked softly. “How did you decide to step out of your family and embrace change?”

A confident light also shone in Elian's eyes.

She wanted to package this woman as a distinctive feature of Luberon!
Let the story of this pastry chef named Leah inspire other women and tourists in Luberon—women can also support a family!

Leah shrugged and said in a calm tone:

“I don’t have a story, dear. Like other women in Lourmaran, I just want to make my family richer. Why say no to an opportunity if I can earn more money?”

“What do you mean by ‘like other women in Lourmaran’?” Elian’s eyes widened.

Blanco's gentle voice sounded in her ear:

"Ronan not only gave women the opportunity to work, but also encouraged them to create a better future with their own hands. Let's go to the next place."

Quincy's eyebrows furrowed together.

It was that villager named Ronan again.

"Why does this name sound so familiar?"

Blanco took the tourism bureau to the next location: Barty's yard.

Many women choose to come here during the day to do knitting orders, chat with others, and spend their days in a relaxed and pleasant way.

Especially recently, everyone has been immersed in the joy of woven furniture, and they are happy every day.

Before Quincy and his group even entered the courtyard, they heard the women's infectious laughter, which made them smile involuntarily.

Upon entering the courtyard, Claude, who had been waiting there for some time, presented everyone with a flower wreath:
"Women can earn 75 francs for making one of these wreaths."

Claude picked up a few more lamps:
"The lamp costs 100-250 francs and takes 1-2 days to make, depending on the style."

Quincy has finally found out why the villagers of Lourmarin dared to serve 500 francs worth of wine to strangers:
"Are the orders stable? Have you kept track of the average monthly revenue?" Of course, they had been tracked. Claude smiled broadly, his tone brimming with pride.

"Ronan is a national treasure-level artist. With his name on the list, orders are relatively stable. Women earn between 2500 and 4000 francs a month from weaving handicrafts."

Sylvie pointed to Josephine, who was doing handicrafts alone in the corner, and added:

"Those who are quick and skilled can earn more than 7000 francs a month."

"More than 7000 francs?" Willie quickly covered his mouth.

That's more than he earns!
Several women said to Willie in a tone of 'you're making a fuss over nothing':

"What's so strange about that? We'll be earning over 7000 soon!"

The courtyard had given them a tremendous shock.

Elian found a quiet moment when no one was looking and whispered to Quincy:

“Lourmaran must be supported! There is so much to showcase here! I want to show the world the independent and self-reliant spirit of women in Luberon!”

She had previously scoffed inwardly, thinking that the villagers of Lourmaran couldn't understand movies, but now the whole country was into art!

The three of them are a group, and Quincy, who is in charge, is responsible for writing the report after they return.

Ellian wanted to influence Quincy's report to make it more favorable to Lourmaran.

Quincy comforted Elian:
"Don't get excited yet. The inspection isn't over yet. Let's see everything before making a decision."

“Let’s go inside!” Blanco interrupted Quincy and Ellian’s conversation as he stood at the door of Barty’s house.

"What's inside?" Quincy quickly went over.

When Ellian sees women and children, he throws all principles and professionalism to the wind.

Objectivity is an essential ability for government officials.

Quincy would report exactly what was happening here, without any personal bias.

Blanco pushed open the door:
"Didn't you ask where the man from Lourmaran is?"

The scene in the courtyard deeply shocked Elian.

The view inside the house deeply shocked Quincy.

He saw a room full of big men awkwardly following a tall, thin teacher to learn the basics of knitting.

Quincy was very knowledgeable about Luberon's culture.

Here, men are laughed at for doing handicrafts; that's something women do.

Why are so many men gathering together for a knitting class?
Lourmaran is completely different from the other villages in Luberon, Quincy couldn't help but marvel.

He looked at Blanco:

"Is someone organizing them to do this?"

Blanco smiled and shook his head:

"It was voluntary; no one forced them."

Ever since Pires made the price of woven furniture known to everyone, these men have stopped caring about their reputation and have taken the initiative to learn weaving from Barty.

Willie spotted Cornell in the crowd, and remembering his long list of professions, asked Blanco:
"Are you only so enthusiastic because it's the off-season for farming? Will you be doing something else later?"

The answer came from several villagers who were in class.

"It has nothing to do with the off-season for farming; I'll do whatever makes money!"

"Even during the busy farming season, we still have to do weaving; it won't be delayed."

"Anyway, I'll follow Ronan. Whatever Ronan does, I'll do. There's no way I'll go wrong."

The tourism bureau's visit to Lourmaran was primarily to assess the arts scene and, at the same time, to identify any potential "hidden dangers."

After observing for most of the day, Quincy found no hidden dangers. On the contrary, he found many "superior" characteristics in Lourmaran that were different from other villages.

First of all, the villagers here do not discriminate against outsiders, which is the foundation for developing tourism.

Secondly, the people here are not old-fashioned; they can understand the principle of "doing whatever makes money" instead of sticking to their own little plot of land, which is also beneficial for developing tourism.

Finally, Lourmaran certainly has many highlights: architecture, artists, and women who come out to work.
But this was not enough to allow Quincy to complete his entire report.

"Now that we have a better understanding, let's go to your conference room to discuss the theme of the museum."

The museum's theme must be linked to Lourmaran's future development path; Quincy needs to comprehensively assess Lourmaran's development potential.

The meeting room had been decorated in advance to resemble a small exhibition hall.

The walls are covered with photographs taken by Sylvie over the past year capturing important moments in Lourmaran.

Quincy paid particular attention to the market section:

"The foot traffic at the tourist market doesn't seem very high?"

Judging from the photos, even during peak tourist season, the market is nowhere near as large as Mena village, and it can be described as 'mediocre' compared to other villages in Luberon.

that's too regretful
If the market culture were stronger, Quincy would seriously consider writing the report a little less objective, given how many highlights Lourmaran has to offer.

Blanco also shook his head regretfully:
"Indeed, Ronan's restaurant didn't make it before the end of last year's travel season, but I believe the market will see a significant increase in foot traffic this year."

Ronan, Ronan again!
Quincy was tired of hearing that name all day during the inspection.

Can this former villager, now an artist, conjure up tourists again?
Sylvie pointed to several photos on the wall and introduced them to everyone:
"This is what Lourmaran looked like for Halloween. A lot of people came to Ronan's Halloween event that year."

Quincy looked in the direction she was pointing and found that all the photos were indeed filled with tourists' happy smiling faces.

Elian, whose heart had already completely swayed, deliberately asked:

"You're having a Halloween event? The travel season is over in November, how come there are still so many people?"

Blanco said with a bright smile:
"Because Ronan's Halloween activities are interesting, many tourists say that Lourmaran's Halloween atmosphere is even better than that of Aix-en-Provence, and they want to come again next year."

Elian silently observed Quincy's words and actions.

This is November! Have any other villages in Luberon ever attracted this many people in November?

Elian had forgotten his identity, but Quincy had not.

Although Lourmaran's receipt of the tourism budget was a foregone conclusion, the only question was how much, their previous performance had been too "aggressive" and needed immediate remedy, after which Quincy's performance became less enthusiastic.

Quincy commented, without much emotion:
“It’s very good, but perhaps because not many people know about Halloween, everyone finds it novel.”

Elian rolled his eyes, speechless.

Sylvie continued, pointing to another set of photos:

"This is our farewell ceremony from last year, which also attracted many people."

Quincy looked over there again.

The scene in these photos is even more lively.

"What's this?" Willie asked, pointing to a photo of a couple kissing under fireworks.

The entire wall was covered with travel-related photos, so how did the theme of love suddenly appear?
Several officials in Lourmaran laughed, as explained by Blanco:

"The people in the photo are Ronan and his girlfriend Zoe, two artists who shone brightly in Gold. We believe that the two of them, especially Ronan, are the most important figures in the development of Lourmaran. Nothing in Lourmaran can be called what it is today without him. He is the symbol of Lourmaran and also a tourist attraction. But we only have this one photo of him, so we put this up."

Elian and Willie both became excited at the same time:
"So Ronan was one of that artist couple!"

The people in front of me and the incomplete information I had heard finally connected.

However, no matter how excited they were, they weren't as excited as Quincy.

“It’s him!” Quincy smacked Ronan’s face in the photo a few times.

He recognized the person in the photo and recalled the scene of their meeting!

Blanco said that all of Lourmaran's development is inseparable from this person; he is the most crucial figure. So—

"What is the theme of the museum?" Quincy asked with great eagerness.

Blanco and his subordinates exchanged glances, concluding that it was time to speak out:

"Rosé wine."

Quincy glanced over, his gaze becoming intense:

When will Lourmaran submit its application for this year?

(End of this chapter)