1986: My Happy Life in Provence

Chapter 428 Kindness Echoes Like a Song
The three chatted for a while, and then Zoe came over to tell them that it was time to eat.

The dining area is still in the courtyard, but it's not the formal dining area that was built last year.

That place is suitable for large gatherings of a dozen or twenty friends.

Today there are only six of them, including two children, so they can sit in a more comfortable and pleasant place.

"How many rest areas are there in your backyard?" Bruno looked at the new area, scratching his head with a wry smile.

Although this relaxation area under the tree and the place where we just rested have different charms and decorative styles, they give people the same feeling—once you sit down, you don't want to get up.

This place feels more like a vacation spot!
“Zoe wants a lot of room to relax in the house, and this place is better because you can’t eat there,” Ronan said, helping Zoe set the table.

Sandrine joined in to help, and she said to Zoe with envy:

"If I had such a beautiful yard, I probably wouldn't want to leave home every day."

Zoe gave Ronan a happy look:
"I have to thank Ronan for allowing me to work without leaving home."

Bruno kept shaking his head:

"Your lives are so enviable."

Zoe, like a hostess, invited the two guests to sit down:
"Alright, let's eat and chat. Come and try the authentic flavors of the Provençal countryside."

Zoe cooked all of her mother Leah's specialties today, which are traditional Mediterranean dishes.

The Bruno family raved about the meal, saying it tasted even better than what they'd had in restaurants.

Ronan drank two bowls of bouillabaisse in a row, licked his lips, and said:
“Honey, you’re perfectly capable of participating in the Bouillabaisse Olympics. I’ll call you tonight to register you.”

Bruno had never heard of the 'Bougainvillea Olympics,' but the name suggested it was a prestigious event, and Ronan could send Zoe there with a single phone call. Although he knew it was a joke, it still demonstrated just how formidable his connections were in Provence.

"Will Ronan ever need me again?" Bruno thought bitterly.

With Zoe joining, Sandrine relaxed more and soon asked the question that had been on her mind for a long time:
“Zoe, you designed such a beautiful yard, could you also take a look at my yard? We came to Lourmaran today because we had a disagreement with the craftsmen about the details of the renovation. I think what they made wasn't pretty enough, it was just functional.”

In Provence in the 80s, there were no designers, only craftsmen. If you wanted a special design, you had to use your own brain.

This gave Sandrine a huge headache.

During our conversation, Ronan mentioned that Zoe had "designed" this and that, and Sandrine wanted to ask Zoe for help.

Zoe put down her fork, pointed at Ronan, and said:
"In fact, my role in the renovation was only that of a 'punctuation mark'; the design phase was handled by Ronan."

She pointed to the cushions under their bottoms and said:

“For example, here, I told Ronan that I wanted a rest area in the yard that could serve both as a place to rest and a place to eat. After I chose the location, Ronan designed it like this.”

Ronan smiled and said to Zoe:

“You even helped me choose the style of the cushion, darling. We also made the table together. Your role goes far beyond just a punctuation mark.”

Zoe shrugged:

"Okay, I did a few other things too."

“And what about the other places?” Sandrine asked Ronan and Zoe. “The studio, the reservoir, and the other relaxation areas—were those also designed by Ronan alone?”

Zoe smiled happily:
"Yes, I put forward my ideas and the effects I hoped to achieve, and Ronan helped me realize them one by one."

“God, your lives are so enviable,” Sandrine couldn’t help but exclaim.

Then, she asked Ronan in an expectant tone:
"If you have time, could you come and take a look at my backyard?"

“Of course, of course.” Ronan reluctantly put down his knife and fork. Zoe’s food was so delicious that he didn’t want to stop and join the discussion. “I’ll go check it out this afternoon.”

“Oh, that’s wonderful!” Sandrine said with a big smile.

Bruno's smile became even more strained.

Sigh, I owe Ronan another favor.

Bruno was a little upset, but he acted quite naturally, only occasionally letting out a few sighs unintentionally.

"What's wrong? Is something on your mind?" Ronan keenly noticed Bruno's unusual behavior.

Bruno shook his head:

"No, no, it's probably because my conversation with the craftsman this morning was a bit annoying."

Sandrine, having become very close with Zoe, comforted her husband:

"Don't worry, Ronan and Zoe will help us. We'll be able to move into a beautiful house just like this soon."

Zoe said happily:
“We’re going to Marseille to buy sofas in a few days. If you’re free, you can come along and let Ronan help you take a look.”

"That's wonderful!" Sandrine's smile widened even more.

The matter seemed to be resolved, but Bruno's sighs could still be heard occasionally.

After a while, Ronan, who was very concerned about Bruno's condition and had a keen sense of observation, whispered to Bruno:

"Have you encountered any problems at work?"

Bruno shook his head:
"No, it went fairly smoothly. Although some idiots left behind a lot of trouble and problems, I resolved them all one by one."

Bruno's demeanor at work is completely different from his personal life. In his personal life, he is an excellent husband who loves his wife and children and puts his family first.

But at work, he is a 'temperamental boss' with zero tolerance for ignorance and mistakes and who loves to swear.

The way he reprimanded his subordinates was still vividly etched in Ronan's mind.

Ronan used bread to clean up the last drop of soup in the plate before finally putting down his knife and fork, completely satisfied.
"But I might be about to cause you a little 'trouble'."

Bruno looked up in confusion.

Ronan finished the rest of the rosé in his glass and, somewhat embarrassed, began to speak:
"There's something I might need your help with."

Bruno's bald head visibly 'shine,' and he sat up straight excitedly, asking expectantly:
"What's the deal?"

Ronan spent more than half an hour telling Bruno what he and Lucas wanted, and what they had discussed when they last met with Professor Fernand in Carpenter.

Since you're asking Bruno for help, you must clearly state your purpose; being vague will only waste both of your time.

Therefore, Ronan decided to be honest with Bruno about his situation:
“If we can find a more advanced inoculation method, I need a batch of seedlings. My partner told me that the previous host trees were purchased from your forestry bureau.”

He paused briefly, as if organizing his thoughts:

"The cost of the artificial cultivation of truffles is very high. Even if the Ministry of Agriculture is willing to help us cover part of the cost, the remaining amount is still staggering. I wonder if there is any way to buy these seedlings at a lower price? Also, I heard from my partner that his forest has already received some support and funding. Given our current situation, is it possible to obtain further support from the Forestry Bureau?"

Bruno hadn't expected Ronan's "help" to be related to work, and such a complicated matter at that, so he listened with a furrowed brow the entire time, and his brow didn't relax until Ronan finished explaining everything.

Seeing Bruno's gloomy expression, Ronan added at the end:
“If you can’t do it, just tell me directly. I’ve dealt with a lot of officials in the province of Vaucluse recently and I know that some things just can’t be done, no matter what you try.”

Bruno frowned and asked Ronan:
"Is your ten hectares of forest participating in a 'test field' project?"

Ronan nodded:

"Yes, the cold wave at the beginning of this year caused severe frost damage to black truffles in Provence, and the trading volume of truffles plummeted by 50%. The government decided to pilot artificial cultivation technology for truffles. The departments that funded this project were the Provence Regional Government and the Ministry of Agriculture of Vaucluse."

Bruno's brow remained furrowed.

"The advanced inoculation method you mentioned involves cultivating the mycelium and the host seedling together for a period of time until they stabilize before planting them back into the forest?"

The 'Black Truffle Tissue Culture Seedling Symbiosis Construction Method' had not yet reached Provence, so Bruno summarized Ronan's meaning based on his own understanding.

The general principle is correct, but Ronan added:

"Yes, similar orchid experiments have been conducted in Provence to artificially induce symbiosis between the host tree and mycelium under sterile conditions."

After listening to Ronan's story, Bruno's brows furrowed even deeper, as if an eye had sprouted between his eyebrows.

This made Ronan nervous.

Bruno asked in a more serious tone:

Which host tree seedlings do you want to use?

Ronan replied:
"Either holly oak or European hazelnut, either one will do."

Bruno nodded and took a notebook and a pen out of his pocket:

"What's the name of the truffle expert you're working with?"

“Professor Fernand,” Ronan replied earnestly, “is the chief researcher at the Provence Truffle Research Center.”

Bruno wrote Fernand's name in a flamboyant style in his notebook, circled it several times, and then made several forceful dots with his pen.

"I understand." After doing this, Bruno put away the notebook, looked up, and saw that everyone was looking at him with a tense expression. Even his wife had the same expression.

"Is it difficult?" Sandrine asked nervously.

Zoe glanced at Ronan:
"If it's too much trouble, then forget it."

She's rich, she'll pay for Ronan!
Ronan patted Zoe's hand:

"It's alright, Bruno, don't worry, I can think of other ways."

Juliet suggested another idea to Ronan: to ask the tourism bureau for money.

Ronan wanted to wait until Bruno had reached a conclusion before going to him; the tourism bureau was his backup plan.

Bruno suddenly laughed and spread his hands out:

"Hey, why are you all like this? I just want to understand things clearly so I can provide the best help to Ronan."

Then, in a cheerful mood, he said to Ronan:
“This is not a difficult task at all, because it is indeed within the scope of the Forestry Bureau’s responsibilities. I can think of at least three ways to help you right now, but don’t worry, I will go back and think about it carefully, and also learn more about this project. Our Forestry Bureau and the Ministry of Agriculture have a lot of overlap, and our work content also overlaps to some extent. I will get back to you as soon as I find the best way to help you.”

Ronan let out a long sigh of relief:
"Thanks--"

Bruno suddenly made a 'stop' gesture that even a Frenchman could understand, pointing at Ronan and saying:
"Let's not use that word between us. We're all on the same side. I'll do my best."

Dude, if we're talking about saying thank you, do you know how many times I owe you?
Ronan obediently shut his mouth, but gratefully raised his glass:
"Come visit my house often in the future."

Ronan wouldn't have received this assistance from the Forest Service if he hadn't "picked up" Bruno last Christmas.

Therefore, your kindness towards the world will always resonate like a song unexpectedly.

This is one of the most anticipated moments in life.

(End of this chapter)