1986: My Happy Life in Provence

Chapter 420 This 'goddess' is amazing!
Previously, Ronan's system only had one level 5 skill—[Cooking].

Compared to the previous levels, the changes and improvements brought by level 5 [Cooking] are enormous.

It gave Ronan something like a 'Yellow Pages' book, which recorded recipes for dishes, desserts, and drinks from all over the world.

It also gave Ronan a very powerful skill—he could tell the preparation and ingredient ratios of any food just by taking one bite.

Based on the changes brought about by level 5 [Cooking], Ronan guessed that this level would be a watershed moment, and therefore he was also full of expectations for level 5 [Planting].

Is there going to be another epic buff?

As Ronan clicked the plus sign after "Plant," the light blue system page immediately changed—his second level 5 skill appeared.

[Level 5 Cooking: 0/10000]

[Level 5 Planting: 0/10000]

[Level 4 Gathering: 0/5000]

[Level 3 Construction: 0/2000]

[Level 3 Weaving: 0/2000]

[Level 3 Hunting: 0/2000]

[Level 3 Pottery Making: 0/2000]

[Tier 3 Brewing: 0/2000]

[Usable experience: 3]

Ronan experienced it for a moment, and found that the level 5 [Planting] skill also brought two abilities.

The first thing was that he had another book in his mind, similar to a 'Yellow Pages', but instead of recipes, it contained a series of obscure and difficult technical terms, such as microclimate control, interline covering, and reflective management.

In fact, when Ronan upgraded to level 2 [Planting], the system also gave him a lot of agricultural knowledge, but Ronan could roughly guess what the knowledge was about just by looking at the names. However, the knowledge given in this 'Yellow Pages' was almost incomprehensible just by looking at the names.

Ronan randomly picked up an entry for "soilless cultivation technology," clicked on it, and his lips twitched as he read it.

Soilless cultivation technology refers to a highly efficient planting technique that does not use natural soil and provides plants with water, nutrients, and oxygen through hydroponics, aeroponics, or substrate culture.

"I understand water, but fog and matrix? What is a matrix? The knowledge involved is too advanced and technological."

Ronan didn't linger too long in the 'Yellow Pages' section; there were too many obscure technical terms, and he needed time to digest the knowledge within.

He then focused his attention on the second ability granted by level 5 [Planting].

Compared to the previous ability, Ronan believes this second ability is more practical!
This ability is somewhat like a 'simulator', where you can set specific planting information such as crops and environment, and deduce numerous possible outcomes.

For example, Merlot, which is not suited to the climate of Provence, may die from drought or contract diseases such as powdery mildew, downy mildew, and grape weevils; none of these outcomes are good.

However, when new information is added to the conditions, the outcome will change, and change dramatically at that.

"This skill came at just the right time!" Ronan thought excitedly to himself.

Cultivating Merlot in Provence is a huge challenge, but with this ability, Ronan's chances of success can be increased significantly.

Before planting, he can simulate the planting method with the highest probability of success. As long as there are no uncontrollable meteorological disasters or human-caused influences, he can always find a theoretically successful planting method.

Ronan eagerly added three important improvement options to the conditions list: a north-facing slope at an altitude of 400 meters, improved soil, and increased summer irrigation frequency, hoping to see some good results. However, he was greatly disappointed. None of the dozen or so possible outcomes were successful!

How could this be?
Theoretically, there should be a certain probability of success.
Ronan simply lay down in the shade.

His colleagues thought he was taking a lunch break, but in reality, Ronan was using a simulator to run simulations over and over again, trying to find where the problem lay.

He quickly found the key to the problem: the variable seemed to be increasing the frequency of summer irrigation. As long as this condition was added, there would be many possible outcomes of the plants dying from pests and diseases, all caused by the roots being forced to undergo anaerobic respiration.

It was a problem with the irrigation and drainage systems. Ronan finally figured it out.

In Provence, the most commonly used irrigation technique by farmers is 'furrow irrigation,' which involves digging shallow furrows between the rows of grapevines to allow water to slowly seep into the roots. This method is used by 60% of farmers.

Ronan used a slightly more advanced type of irrigation system than furrow irrigation: a mobile sprinkler system that sprays water through movable aluminum nozzles.

Only relatively wealthy farmers in the village use this irrigation method. Compared to the former, 'mobile sprinkler irrigation' increases water resource costs by about 30% because this method faces the problem of large-scale evaporation and waste.

Irrigation systems vary in quality, but Lourmaran uses the same drainage system – open ditch drainage.

By digging drainage ditches, excess water can be simply and directly diverted away.

However, both of these methods are only suitable for use on native grape varieties.

Merlot prefers shade and water, so in summer you need to increase the frequency of watering. However, if the watering method is wrong and the soil has poor drainage, the roots will die.

Ronan needs to upgrade its irrigation and drainage systems.

"Luckily we did a 'simulation' beforehand, otherwise this experimental field project would have been in grave danger," Ronan muttered under his breath, as if still shaken.

But don't worry, it's an experimental field, so we can incorporate some more advanced farming methods.

Lourmaran's agricultural techniques are outdated, but Ronan possesses advanced technological knowledge.

He immediately modified the derivation method of irrigation and drainage, changing mobile sprinkler irrigation to drip irrigation and open ditch drainage to more advanced underground pipe drainage.

According to Ronan's knowledge, these two technologies already existed in 1987, but were not yet widespread.

Ronan looked at the simulation results with anticipation once again, waiting for some good news, but the result surprised him once more—a successful outcome had finally appeared, but the successful outcome was marked with a warning: 'Needs improvement'.

"How could this be?" Ronan sat up abruptly, startling everyone around him.

"What are you doing? Why are you making such a fuss and muttering to yourself?" a farmer asked Ronan.

Ronan waved his hand dismissively:
I miss Zoe.

One after another, voices mocking him arose from all around.

"You're already missing me after less than an hour? Don't you have any self-respect?"

"You can't do this, Ronan. You'll be completely controlled by Zoe after you get married."

"You know nothing!" Ronan said in a less-than-friendly tone as he lay back down and turned his back to continue his deductions.

Ronan was convinced that the previous failures stemmed from the outdated irrigation and drainage system, but now that it had been upgraded, a successful outcome had occurred. What did 'needs improvement' mean?

After more than half an hour of 'experimentation', Ronan finally figured out the reason for the 'needs to be improved' - it turned out that he hadn't 'played' it properly.

Simply piling up conditions is useless; there's also the matter of their order, and the order has a huge impact.

After countless simulations, Ronan finally found a path that had a chance of success and was relatively perfect; the main improvements were made in the preparation stage.

The first step in the preparation stage is to deeply till the soil. After that, instead of immediately backfilling with clay to improve the soil properties, drainage pipes and drip irrigation mains are buried.

The next step is to mix clay with limestone during backfilling to reduce repetitive mechanical work.

After the soil improvement is completed, the last step is to install drip irrigation tape.

During the soil settling process, the stability and safety of the drainage and drip irrigation systems are tested. After everything is prepared and debugged, the seedlings are then planted in the soil to ensure that everything goes smoothly.

The second ability brought by Level 5 [Planting] is like a deduction, as well as a collaborative and scientific sorting out, which is so useful!
Thinking of something, Ronan suddenly sat up again.

"Thank goodness old Nemo didn't sell the land to me. If I had gotten the land earlier, I would have already finished improving the soil."

Several farmers put down their playing cards and, grumbling, said to Ronan:
"Don't break up with Zoe in the future. The way you miss her so much is terrifying."

"What did you say about me to the farmers? Duma and the others looked at me strangely this afternoon."

After buying the land, Zoe immediately came to meet Ronan. However, the farmers, who had been perfectly fine that morning, suddenly started acting strangely.

Zoe asked them what was wrong and why they looked like that, and they gave her strange smiles and told her to ask Ronan.

Ronan smiled happily:
I said I missed you.

"I miss you too. I wonder if you've eaten well, if you've had a good nap," Zoe asked with a smile. "What do you miss about me?"

Ronan said with a bright smile:

"My Lady of Fortune is truly amazing. Ever since you appeared in my life, my good luck has never stopped."

Ronan truly believed that Zoe was his lucky charm.

Many things were a nightmare for Ronan to handle alone, but when he mentioned them to Zoe or got her involved, things would immediately take a turn for the better.

This time, the same applies to planting Melo.

Thanks to Zoe's companionship and meticulous care, Ronan was able to quickly level up his [Planting] skill to level 5, gaining the incredible 'Deduction' skill and finding the planting path with the highest probability of success.

Whether Ronan bought Old Nemo's north slope or another farmer's south slope, he would immediately arrange for someone to modify the soil and start planting. If he only acquired the skill after everything was done, Ronan would suffer huge losses, a terrifying number.

Thinking about this, Ronan suddenly realized a question.

Pierre said that the cost of soil improvement is 1 francs per hectare, but what about the cost of drip irrigation systems and underground drainage?
In this day and age, these two systems are 'new' gadgets, and they won't be cheap.

Moreover, even if Ronan is willing to bear the high costs, can Pierre help him find people to make these devices?
Zoe thought Ronan was just being 'sweet-talking' and smiled, raising her eyebrows:

"Of course, I will definitely bless you so that everything goes smoothly!"

Ronan clasped his hands together in prayer.
"Dear Lady Luck, please bless me so that I can successfully cultivate Merlot!"

Zoe, in perfect compliance, raised her chin, like a true 'goddess,' and offered Ronan her blessing:

"I will bless you with all good things and clear away all the thorns in your path."

Ronan decided to abandon the vacant vineyard on the north slope and purchase 5 hectares of land on the south slope to use as a Merlot experimental field.

The system has given him so much high-tech knowledge, as well as that incredible 'deduction' skill. Success is definitely just ahead; it just needs some time for him to sort out the chaotic new knowledge.

Louis quickly negotiated the acquisition terms for Ronan, and they entered the stage of waiting for the signing of the contract.

The vineyard tour program has also gotten on track after a trial period and no longer needs to be constantly monitored.

The busy days began and ended without us even realizing it. Although there were still many things to do every day, the young couple had time to renovate their house again.

Luo Tianhai and Feng Zhen's new residence has been renovated.

The elderly couple didn't ask Ronan for a single penny; they paid for all the renovations and furniture themselves.

After finishing the renovations on the second and third floors of the restaurant, Cafu's men immediately returned to Ronan's house to work on the swimming pool. Zoe devoted all her energy to it, and she had high hopes for the swimming pool.

Ronan's task was to finish the few woven furniture pieces that hadn't been completed before.

That afternoon, Ronan finished his work in Stella and returned to his studio to continue making furniture. Before long, an unexpected visitor appeared.

"Why are you here?" Ronan put down the vines in his hand and looked up at the newcomer with surprise.

Juliet looked at the furniture Ronan was making and asked with great interest:
"Can weaving be made into a cabinet?"

She absolutely loves this little sideboard!
“Of course,” Ronan said with a smile. “We can make all the common furniture weaving techniques.”

Juliet knew that the women of Lourmaran were learning to weave from Ronan, but she didn't know they could make something like this.

She nodded, reluctantly turning her gaze away, and asked Ronan:

Is everything going smoothly here?

Juliet was naturally asking about the vineyard pilot project.

Ronan stated the facts as they were:

"It's not going particularly smoothly, but I'm trying to adjust."

Juliet sat down on a very simple little stool, completely abandoning her usual airs as a government official, and said with concern:

“I’ve been organizing the data for the removal plan lately and haven’t had time to talk to you. Tell me what you’ve been doing and what problems you’ve encountered.”

While explaining the preparations to Juliet, Ronan's hands were also busy, which made the atmosphere of the conversation much more relaxed.

However, Juliet could still tell that Ronan had recently encountered many thorny problems.

"In other words, you've found a 'second-best' solution to the land problem, but you've encountered difficulties with irrigation and drainage technologies."

Ronan nodded and said:
"That's right. How about I meet with an academic institution and ask if they can offer any assistance?"

Juliet picked up a vine and casually swung it twice:
"No need, I'll contact them for you."

"Do you know where I can buy drip irrigation and concealed drainage systems?" Ronan asked in surprise, putting down what he was doing. "Do you know the approximate cost? How much does a set cost?"

Juliet raised an eyebrow at Ronan:

“I’ll help you figure out a solution for these two sets of equipment.”

"Huh??" Ronan blinked repeatedly.

When did the Ministry of Agriculture become so wealthy and powerful?
Juliet clicked her tongue:
"Have you forgotten? I said I would give you extra rewards if you could successfully implement the eradication plan in Lourmaran. I also said I would help you apply for other things if you applied for the experimental field. Did you think I was joking?"

“I remember, I remember!” Ronan nodded. “But I didn’t expect it to happen so quickly.”

Juliet said, without much emotional fluctuation:
“The Ministry of Agriculture cannot provide you with financial support, but technical support is not a problem. Transforming towards technological modernization is one of the three most important tasks of the Ministry of Agriculture this year. We have recently purchased a lot of advanced agricultural equipment from neighboring countries, and I can help you apply for it.”

Thanks to Torronen, Juliet had a moment of triumph at the Ministry of Agriculture thanks to the 'Elimination Plan,' and she even walked the runway to meetings in Avignon when she occasionally returned.

The removal plan is just the first step; once weather insurance is also implemented in Lourmaran, Juliet's promotion is only a matter of time.

The shrewd officials also realized the implications, and that Juliet's application would receive support from many parties and be approved.

“Thank you!” Ronan said gratefully to Juliet.

My God, my Lady of Luck is amazing!
It really cleared away all the obstacles for me!
Juliet stayed at Ronan's house for a while before leaving. As she was leaving, she pointed to the new cabinet Ronan had made and said:

"Does your physical store have it? I'd like to get one for my home."

Without a word, Ronan picked up the cabinet and carried her out.

"Don't be so polite, I'll have someone deliver it to Avignon for you right now!"

Juliet is definitely worth the 'investment'!
This gift must be given!
Ronan carried the cabinet all the way to the door, and they were talking about the experimental field project when a blurry figure suddenly appeared and snatched the cabinet from Ronan's hands.

Old Nemo said to Ronan in a flattering tone:

“I’ll move it, I’ll move it. Ronan, are you still going to buy that land or not? The government refuses to give me any subsidies. You can’t stand me up again. Can I give you a discount? Don’t buy that south-facing slope.”

Zoe was in the backyard talking to Cafu's guys about what the swimming pool should look like when Ronan, ignoring her, picked her up and started to carry her into the house.

"What are you doing!" Zoe punched Ronan's back and arms.

I've been under so much pressure lately, I'm going crazy, aren't I?
Ronan said in a 'crazy' way:
"I must treat you like royalty, my Lady of Fortune is just too amazing!"

(End of this chapter)