1986: My Happy Life in Provence

Chapter 426 Backyard Upgrade!

The location for 'sending the child' was chosen near where the little bird was hiding.

To protect the baby owl that had been separated from its mother, Ronan carefully cleaned the outdoor rest area and outdoor kitchen area in the afternoon. They would stay there tonight to protect the baby owl.

Zoe was going home later, and after telling her parents why, Louis and Leah joined the 'child-dropping' team.

With food and wine, and surrounded by the two closest families, the atmosphere was as pleasant as a party.

"How's the renovation going?"

When the two families sit together, their conversation doesn't revolve around anything in particular; it only focuses on the young couple.

Everyone was aware of the progress inside the house, but the parents weren't very familiar with the progress in the backyard; only Ronan and Zoe knew.

“It’s exactly as expected.” Zoe nestled in Ronan’s arms and said with a smile, “We’ll finish the outdoor rest areas this month, the swimming pool next month, and then we’ll just wrap things up and be done.”

In April, the temperature difference between day and night in Luberon is significant. Ronan helped Zoe pull the blanket up, adding:
"The installation should be completed by the end of June at the latest, which is in line with our previous estimates."

Louis smiled, shrugged, and asked Ronan:

"When are you getting married? Have you made a decision?"

Ronan and Zoe exchanged a glance.

They had talked about renovation plans before, but they hadn't really discussed a wedding date yet; they had just agreed on the goal of "as soon as possible."

The renovations will be completed in June, when should we get married?

The French don't have a tradition of pressuring people to get married; Louis was just asking the question to find out.

However, the deeply ingrained Chinese habit of urging marriage will not be erased just because they have lived in Paris for decades.

Feng Zhen looked at the little owl in the ceramic jar in the distance and said cryptically:

"Oh, that's wonderful! Both of our families love 'children' so much. It would be so much fun if we had a real child."

Ronan glanced at his mother and said with a smile:
"We're talking about marriage, how did we get to having children? Zoe and I haven't even discussed this yet."

Lia was influenced by Feng Zhen's words, and as she continued:

“Zoe has loved animals since she was a child, so she will definitely be able to raise the child well. And you don’t need to worry about being too busy with work to take care of the child, we can help you.”

Family values ​​are very strong in Provence.

There are also cases where elders take care of their children, and this happens frequently.

Zoe blurted out:

"Ronan and I will definitely take care of the child ourselves, so you don't need to worry about it."

The family chatted for a while about marriage and children, and Vieri, who was standing nearby, stood up out of boredom:

"You guys chat, I'm going home to rest first."

Vieri didn't want to attend today's event, but Louis didn't want to leave him at home alone and insisted on 'kidnapping' him.

"Wait a little longer," Louis glanced at his watch. "They should be here soon. Don't you want to see what's going on?"

Vieri's cold refusal:

"boring."

Zoe mocks her brother Vieri:
"We're all in pairs, so it's bound to be boring if you're sitting alone. Think about this problem as soon as you finish the exam."

Vieri turned around, looked at the three couples huddled together for warmth, and said to his father, Louis:

"Lend me your keys tomorrow, I'm going to Bonnieux to buy something."

Louis smiled and waved to his son:
"The car keys are right outside the door. You can take them whenever you want. You should have learned to drive earlier and gone out more often. It's really boring to stay at home all the time."

On the other side, Ronan raised an eyebrow imperceptibly.

Isabel will be off tomorrow.

Luo Tianhai, Ronan, and Louis chatted for a while, then suddenly noticed that several ladies had "gone offline"; they hadn't participated in the conversation for a long time.

Zoe said with some concern:

"Is it because we're here that its mother is afraid to come over?"

Ronan frowned and said:
"Probably not. Marseille kept calling yesterday, and its mother didn't leave. She wouldn't give up so easily for her child, and we're far enough away."

Feng Zhen kept a close eye on the area around the little guy, fearing that it might encounter some danger:
"What will we do if its mother doesn't come? Can we keep it as a pet? It's so cute, I can keep it!"

Zoe said regretfully:

“All owls are protected animals and are strictly prohibited from being kept as pets or sold. If its mother doesn’t come to pick it up, we can only ask animal protection organizations to take it away.”

Feng Zhen said with reluctance:

"Then you won't be able to see it anymore. If you can leave with its mother, you might meet her again in the future. Its mother lives nearby."

"An encounter?" Luo Tianhai asked, half-laughing and half-crying. "Aren't you afraid of owls anymore?"

Feng Zhen rolled her eyes at it:
"This one is different! It was so cute when it was little, it's sure to be beautiful when it grows up!"

"Waaaaah—" A mournful cry grew louder as it approached, reaching the ears of everyone present.

Louis, Leah, and Zoe, the three people who heard it for the first time, all showed obvious signs of stiffness.

That sound was indeed quite 'peculiar'.

Terrified, Feng Zhen burrowed under the blanket. Hearing the scream in the open outdoors, it sounded even more 'dreadful'.

"Have you found the child? Have you found the child?" she asked anxiously, huddled under the blanket.

Ronan looked up at the sky:
"No, it's still moving."

Luo Tianhai comforted his wife:
"It's alright, there are so many of us here, what are you afraid of?"

Feng Zhen said in horror:

"Don't worry about me, watch the baby! What if that sound isn't its mother, but some other bird?"

After Feng Zhen's reminder, everyone immediately became alert, because such a possibility did indeed exist.

Ronan did not get a glimpse of the bird last night.

Several people cautiously stood up and warily observed their surroundings.

To successfully take the child away, their identity must first be verified.

“They’re here—” Ronan suddenly looked up.

Even without Ronan's warning, everyone reacted accordingly, because the voice came almost directly above their heads.

The first person to spot the bird was Zoe, who was relatively familiar with birds. She pointed to a tree trunk and said:

“There, is its mother!”

Although Louis and Leah didn't know much about birds, they had seen owls countless times in their years living in Provence, and with Zoe's reminder, they spotted their target.

"It's a long-eared owl. It really is the one that came looking for its chicks."

Luo Tianhai and Luo Nan searched diligently for a long time but found no trace. "Where?"

"what colour?"

"On the tree or behind the leaves?"

Feng Zhen, who was under the covers, was extremely anxious and wished she could go out and see for herself, but she held back.

Finally, Ronan also spotted the bird.

"Ah, I see! Go and take your child away."

"Look closely, it must be its mother giving it to it!" Feng Zhenmeng shouted from under the covers, but the situation outside was so chaotic that no one cared about her anymore.

Without eyes, Feng Zhen listened as if to a live broadcast.

"They've come down, they've come down."

"It saw it?"

"Hey, hey, it's flying over here, it's flying over here, hurry up and take it away!"

"Are you sure it's its mother who gave it to it?" Feng Zhen shouted, but still received no response.

Everyone was anxiously directing the mother owl to quickly take her baby away.

Forced into a corner, Feng Zhen threw off the blanket and mustered the courage to open her eyes.

Whether it was fate or not, Feng Zhen spotted the owl on the branch at a glance.

"Hey, they look like a family! So cute and adorable!" Feng Zhen finally smiled.

After a 10-minute probing attempt, the mother owl finally took her baby away.

As it left, its large, bright yellow eyes, still gleaming in the darkness, stared back at the six people behind it without blinking.

After its figure completely disappeared into the night, a peaceful and serene call echoed through the empty forest.

Feng Zhen stood up with a smile, waving the blanket and shouting:
"Come back when you have time, the kids and mom together!"

Zoe smiled, glanced at Feng Zhen, then looked up and stroked Ronan's chin, saying:

"Auntie can't bear to part with them."

Ronan smiled and pursed his lips:

"That's women for you, they change every day."

Zoe hugged Ronan comfortably.
"I'll help Auntie fulfill her wish!"

Time flies.

It's another day of the Lourmaran market, and there are noticeably more people visiting today, as Easter is just a week away.

Ronan, along with several women from the restaurant, set up a stall and encountered Sylvie, Claude, and Quincy from the tourism bureau who came to "inspect" the area. Behind them was Juliet, who had a cold expression on her face.

"You haven't left yet?" Ronan asked Quincy in surprise.

Quincy has been in Lourmaran for over a month, almost two months. Isn't that a bit too long?

"What? Don't you want to see me?" Quincy asked Ronan jokingly.

Ronan replied with a smile:
"Of course not, I hope you can stay here forever."

Your presence means the money's there, my buddy.

Quincy patted Ronan on the shoulder:

“Easter is coming soon, I’ll go back after Easter.”

Having invested so much in Lourmaran, I need to see how things go after the tourist season arrives so I can go back and write the first round of reports.

Ronan nodded:

"Okay, feel free to contact me anytime if there's anything I need you to do."

Quincy replied with a smile:
"Of course, I won't stand on ceremony with you."

After the officials left, Juliet, who was at the back, whispered a reminder to Ronan:
"Remember to call Ines right away. You don't want another problem, do you?"

Ronan gratefully poured Juliet a glass of rosé wine, telling her to drink it as she walked.
“I’m going to meet Ines soon, in a few days, and I will ‘confess’ to her in person.”

Juliet nodded, took the rosé wine, and left.

If there are no long lines, Ronan usually closes up shop before 11 a.m.

However, he wasn't in a hurry to leave today. When the women asked him why he hadn't packed up yet, Ronan explained that he was waiting for someone.

Finally at 11:40 a.m., a man and a woman with two children appeared in front of Ronan's stall; it was Bruno's family.

"Hey buddy, the market in Lourmaran is pretty good, not as deserted as you said." Bruno gave Ronan a warm hug as soon as they met.

Ronan released Bruno, knelt down, and said to the two children:

"Would you like to go back for lunch now, or have two servings of sweet and sour pork first?"

Bruno's house isn't finished yet, but they're coming to Lourmaran today to discuss some things with the craftsmen.

When Ronan learned of this, he invited them to have lunch together at his home.

The agreed meeting place was at the market, as Bruno and his wife Sandrine wanted to experience the atmosphere of Lourmaran's market.

It was well past lunchtime, and Ronan was worried that the two children were hungry, so he wanted to give them something to eat first.

"Sweet and sour pork, sweet and sour pork! I love sweet and sour pork!"

Bruno's two daughters attended the Lunar New Year dinner at Ronan's restaurant, and they both fell in love with the sweet and sour food.

After making sweet and sour pork for the two children, Ronan officially closed up shop.

On the walk home, Ronan explained to the Bruno family:
"My house is under renovation, so let's eat out for lunch today. Zoe is already preparing it. It's very comfortable to eat out during the day in this weather."

“That’s fantastic!” Bruno clapped his hands. “We moved to Provence for the air and the scenery.”

Sandrine and the children were visiting Ronan's house for the first time. Ronan first showed them the vineyard, and then led them to the backyard area.

But after only a few steps, the two girls refused to leave and played happily around a reservoir in Ronan's house.

"What is this?" Sunderland also began to examine the pool.

Ronan touched his nose:
"This is a complicated story. At first, Zoe just wanted to design a place for the pets to play, but later my mother developed a bond with two owls in the neighborhood. The Luberon Mountains lack water, and the small animals in the area would come to drink from any water source, so this design came about."

"Designed for animals?" Bruno asked, stroking his bald head.

Sandrine looked around and said impatiently:

"Your courtyard is quite impressive. Please show us around."

She has recently been cramming on a lot of knowledge about interior design and is also maintaining close contact with many designers.

But the scenes in those photos are nothing compared to Ronan's yard!
Ronan waved to everyone:
"Come on, we just finished some new things in our yard recently."

(End of this chapter)