1986: My Happy Life in Provence

Chapter 430 First Issue

For the next two days, Ronan would take some time each day to go to the hillside where Stella lived and find some work to do.

He didn't even own a tractor before, and always relied on other people's to get one.

Buying so much advanced agricultural equipment all at once is like a child getting a new toy – it's exciting and novel.

Ronan appeared in the fields for several days in a row, always eager to do the work. Especially after buying so much advanced equipment, the way the other guys looked at Henry changed.

Previously, we were all villagers.

I can't stand you, that's all. So what if I curse you? We're nobody's business.

But now there's an added layer of 'colleague' relationship. The villagers already knew that Ronan and Henry were close, and that Henry's family had gradually become wealthy thanks to Ronan's help.

Looking at it now, Ronan's treatment of Henry was indeed different from his treatment of others.

"Good morning, Henry. Going up the mountain so early?"

"My wife brought some fresh strawberries, come on, have a taste."

"Henry, wanna grab a couple of drinks after work this afternoon?"

Henry received more attention in St. Louis, which was the most painful thing for Theo.

Damn it, Ronan and I are the best of friends!

Why is everyone all circling around Henry?

Theo is especially upset because he has a show-off personality.

In those two days, out of Ronan's sight, he deliberately 'provoked' Henry twice more, but each time it was like hitting a soft cotton ball.

Henry ignored all of Theo's childish behavior, and whenever someone asked him, he would say, "I'll do whatever Mr. Ronan tells me to do," which made it seem like he was getting closer to Ronan.

After two days of making a fuss, Theo realized it was getting boring and quieted down.

Even Henry, with his rotten teeth, knew to listen to Ronan; Theo should be even more 'obedient'.

Not only did he have to be 'obedient,' he also had to prove that he was more useful than Henry!

When will the factory be completed?

"I told you before, everything will be completed by the end of August, so it won't delay your winemaking in September."

"No, no, the end of August is too late, let's do it in July."

"July? Are you kidding me? Where are you going to find so many people to do the work for you a month in advance?"

“Aren’t all these people human? You’re all so inefficient right now. Listen to me, you two, stop moving the lumber and go build the wall. Yes, I’m talking to you two! Build the wall first, then go move the lumber! And you three, stop smoking and come over here. I’ll find you something to do!”

“Have you heard? Theo’s name has spread from Lourmaran to the neighboring village of Gur. The villagers there all know that Lourmaran has a guy who’s particularly good at assigning tasks. Maybe in less than two months, Theo’s name will reach Mena village.” Godia shook his head. “This is the first time I’ve seen someone become famous for this.”

The Provence Art Review was to be published in early June, and Ines invited Ronan, Zoe, and Batti to Avignon for an interview with the magazine. As their agent, Cotillard naturally accompanied them.

She had acquired dozens of Zoe's items as early as last autumn, but Cotillard did not rush to sell them, instead keeping them as investments.

As it turns out, Cotillard's investment and gamble were correct. After the Gold series of events, the prices of these appliances continued to rise, and this month she bought a new used car, just like Louis.

Today, everyone is riding in Codia's new car.

Batty, in the passenger seat, laughed heartily and said:
“I met some workers in Lourmaran who were building factories for Stuttgart. They affectionately called Theo ‘capitalist’ and asked me what position Theo held in Stuttgart.”

In the back row, Zoe, who was dressed impeccably, turned to Ronan and asked:
What position will Special Olympics be given in the future?

Cornell will be making wine with Ronan after September, Henry will focus on growing grapes, and the other guys have taken on other jobs in tourism and Stellaco. Only Theo Ronan has never said what he will be doing in the future.

Ronan smiled and shrugged:

"Let's take it one step at a time. Maybe those two brothers will actually be able to work together in the future?"

Ronan knew that Theo wanted to do something with Lucas.

Last year, when Lucas was working on cultivating truffles, Theo was eager to join in.

But Lucas always treated his younger brother like a 'child,' thinking he was immature and lacked experience in dealing with people.

Ronan decided to give Theo more jobs that involved interacting with people, hoping that Theo's work experience in St. Louis would help him meet Lucas's requirements.

Upon hearing Ronan's reply, Cotillard glanced at the back seat through the rearview mirror:

"How's the situation with Lucas?"

Lourmaran has only about 800 villagers, and everyone knows what happened in the village. Codia naturally knows that Ronan's Stella has joined Lucas as a strong reinforcement.

Ronan said seriously:
“Lucas has many friends in Marseille, and the market expansion is going quite smoothly. Jerome, who was the previous boss of Stella, told me that he has been sending a lot more goods to Marseille recently.”

Jerome still has a lot of rosé wine on hand. Whenever Ronan gets a new client, he'll contact Jerome to deliver it. This will continue until the end of June this year.

The construction of Stellar's winery in Lourmarin is scheduled to be completed by the end of August, but the cellars will be built ahead of schedule, which is the most urgent task at present.

Once Ronan has the facilities to store the wine, Jerome will settle accounts with him again, and the remaining stock will be sent to Lourmarin, where Ronan will be responsible for sales. At that point, Jerome can officially retire.

“If you can open up a larger sales channel in a big city like Marseille, that would be good news for you,” Batty said to Ronan.

Marseille is the second most populous city in France, after Paris, and the third largest metropolitan area in France after Paris and Lyon, with a population of over 80. It is the most important gateway city to Provence.

Ronan nodded:

"But Lucas's goal is not just Marseille. He said on the phone that he will go to Nice next month, where he has some friends. After that, he will travel around the coastal cities to get a feel for the local situation, and finally go to Avignon."

Gotia exclaimed "Wow!"
"It seems like your business is getting bigger and bigger."

Ronan patted the Cotillard's seat, leaned forward, and asked:

"How's your unique arts and crafts market coming along?"

Neither Ronan nor Zoe participated in that special arts market and were unaware of its details.

Codia said in a relaxed tone:
"It's not bad. We can sell some things every day. The main reason is that the government didn't charge us any site fees, and the farmers also helped with the renovations for free. Selling even a little bit is a profit."

An art-themed market organized around a 'hotspot' was held in an empty barn in the village of Lourmaran, which the government provided to the artists free of charge.

"Is the renovation progressing smoothly?" Ronan continued to ask.

“It went very smoothly!” said Batty, who also participated in the special market. “The farmers that Theo introduced worked quickly and well, and finished the job in just a few days.”

Cotillard remarked:

"In the end, they still didn't collect their wages."

Zoe spoke before Ronan could, saying to Cotillard:
"Actually, the villagers of Lourmaran are very hardworking and capable. You can tell by looking at the women who do weaving. When the tourist season starts, if any gallery or art shop is short of staff, they can recruit from the villagers without having to look for people from other villages."

After saying that, Zoe secretly raised an eyebrow at Ronan.

I know what you're thinking!
Didn't I tell you this beforehand?

It's more appropriate for me to talk about this!
Farming is divided into busy season and slack season.

The art market also has its off-season and peak season.

During the off-season, art shops in tourist attractions usually do not employ workers and rely solely on the owner to manage the shop.

Once tourists arrive in Provence, shop owners will hire one or two people to help out.

Unlike other art shop owners, Cotillard holds multiple positions and hired a young girl to look after the shop last winter.

The girl was from another village and had some basic painting skills. She claimed to understand art and demanded a full salary.

Cotillard didn't agree immediately; he thought for a moment before saying:
"I'll go back and ask them about their prices. If the compensation they ask for isn't high, I might consider hiring someone from my own village." Actually, whether the shop assistant understands art or not doesn't matter much.

That's just a shop, not a museum.

Moreover, during peak tourist season, shop owners will definitely be in the shop to oversee operations, and the workers they hire will mostly do odd jobs, such as cleaning, moving things, and stocking shelves. The key is whether they are hardworking.

Ronan and Zoe secretly gave each other a high five.

Cotillard's position among Lourmarin artists is equivalent to Pierre's position among farmers.

Once she accepts it, everyone else will follow suit!
In the future Lourmaran, the combination of farmers and artists will not be limited to Ronan and Zoe.

It is believed that such combinations will continue to appear in this vibrant little village.

The four chatted all the way, and before they knew it, the Pont Avignon appeared ahead, which meant they were almost at their destination.

"Are we going to the headquarters of Michelin Magazine today?" Barty asked, unable to hide his excitement.

To be able to participate in the inaugural issue of such a high-level magazine is an unparalleled honor and glory.

The inaugural issue of a magazine sets the tone and style for its content. For an art magazine, the artists who participate in the inaugural issue are recognized by the authorities.

Moreover, the inaugural issue also has profound historical and economic value.

For example, the auction price of the inaugural issues of well-known magazines such as Time and National Geographic can reach more than $10 years later.

To take it a step further, a Superman comic book published in 1938 was auctioned for $600 million in the 21st century because it was the first to introduce the concept of a superhero.

After the inaugural issue is published, sales are usually very impressive, and some savvy individuals will collect them as collectibles.

“It’s not their headquarters.” Ronan shook his head, looking out the window. “Michelin magazine’s headquarters aren’t in Avignon.”

"Then why are you here today?" Batty continued to ask.

Ronan spread his hands out:

“I don’t know either. Ines just called me and told me the time, place, and who I was bringing. I don’t know anything else.”

"Ines? Ines, the editor-in-chief of Michelin Magazine?" Barty asked with a look of longing, her eyes full of pink bubbles.

She was one of the women he respected most in Provence.

Ronan actually knows her?
Ronan gave a strange look:

"I guess there won't be another Ines in Michelan."

What's wrong with his friends?

One was madly infatuated with Astrid, and after seeing her once, he was so obsessed that he couldn't eat or sleep.

One was so excited to see Ines.

In Provence, young girls are no longer popular; everyone is starting to be attracted to older women.

Ines' son isn't much younger than Ronan.

Bati was already rubbing his hands together in the car.

She kept tidying her clothes, looking in the mirror, borrowing hand cream from Codiae, and spraying perfume like a madwoman, almost suffocating everyone in the car.

Having made so many preparations to meet the 'goddess', when Cotillard drove to the agreed hotel, what awaited them was a young woman.

“The editor-in-chief is busy with other matters and can’t get away, so I’ll take you inside,” the girl greeted Ronan politely.

Ronan recognized her as one of the people who came out of the restaurant with Ines in Grasse, and she was probably one of Ines's confidantes.

Although the girl was enthusiastic and had fair skin and a beautiful face, Barty still showed some disappointment on his face.

She's nice, but she's not a goddess.

Codia clearly saw Batistuta's reaction and whispered a sarcastic remark:

"What? You're planning to have Ines personally greet you? Who do you think you are?"

Art and fashion go hand in hand.

Cotillard had maintained some contact with Michelin magazine, though not very close, but he knew many of the employees and therefore had a deep understanding of Ines, which was a topic they talked about every time they met.

The head of Michelin magazine is synonymous with ruthlessness, perfectionism, and a desire for control.

She has strict requirements for the magazine layout, content, and even the number of pictures on the inside pages. She often speaks to her subordinates in a commanding tone and never praises them.

Ronan and Cotillard had confessed their connection to Ines, but they were merely members of the same association and had a relationship with the president.

Would a 'female devil' like that be allowed to greet you at the door?
"Where are we going?" Ronan asked the girl after entering the hotel.

The girl pointed in a direction:
"Go to the dressing room to get your makeup done first, then take the photos."

"What kind of photos?" Ronan asked.

The girl was taken aback:
"Don't you know why you're here today?"

Ronan shook his head:

“Ines didn’t say.”

The girl pushed open the door to the dressing room and invited them in:
"To take official photos of the top 100 artists in Provence."

Now it was Ronan, Zoe, Batty, and Cotillard's turn to be stunned. The four of them asked in unison:

"The list and ranking are out?"

One of the important purposes of publishing the Provence Art Review was to select the top 100 artists in Provence, following the Michelin style.

Ronan shared this information with everyone, but he didn't expect it to come out so quickly and be ranked.

"They're out." Suddenly, a voice came from behind them.

A capable middle-aged woman with graying hair, wearing pajamas, holding a wine glass, appeared on the stairs not far away.

Batistuta's height instantly jumped from 189cm to 192cm.

His goddess has arrived!

It's a limited edition, featuring her in pajamas!!
Barty took a step forward, intending to greet Ines in a gentlemanly manner.

But Ines stared straight at Ronan, not even glancing at him.

"Go in and talk."

Why are you wearing pajamas?

"I've been taking photos and conducting interviews here for the past two weeks, and I've been staying at this hotel."

"Ah, that must have been so tiring."

"Have a nice meal with me today, and maybe have a few drinks. For the past two weeks, it's been nothing but work, and I'm so glad you're here."

"Don't work so hard, it's okay to rest for a day."

"Let's rest after we finish the first issue."

Cotillard watched in surprise as Ronan and Ines entered the dressing room side by side.

Is it possible that Ines is so familiar with Ronan?
Their conversation was so casual and natural.

(End of this chapter)