1986: My Happy Life in Provence

Chapter 506 The Importance of Seasonal Seasons

Feng Zhen was sensible enough to know that she didn't have any great abilities.

Aside from being good-looking, taking good care of herself, looking younger than her peers, and having a plump figure (according to her son), all she can do is calculate accounts.

She had a lot of enthusiasm, but after thinking about it all night, she couldn't think of anything she could do to help her son and could only rely on Luo Tianhai.

Luo Tianhai is truly capable; she, as his wife, is absolutely certain of that.

I, as his mother, will pay for my son's dreams.

Shouldn't you, as my husband, fulfill my dream?

Although Luo Tianhai had heard congratulations all day, he wasn't as sentimental as a woman; he was genuinely happy for his son.

But he agreed with what Feng Zhen said.

His initial intention in coming to Provence was not to retire; he wanted to be the 'man' behind Ronan.

"Do you need to tell me?" Luo Tianhai stood up, turned on the TV, and tuned to France 1. "I know what I'm doing."

"Turn it off, I don't want to watch it today. Let's get down to business. Just knowing the facts isn't enough." Feng Zhen glanced at the screen on TV. "What's the situation now? Are they really dead?"

Luo Tianhai went to Apt twice in the past two weeks, but he didn't say anything when he came back.

"How could they be dead?" Luo Tianhai said gravely. "Not only are they not dead, but there are even more Chinese food items inside."

Artur's new restaurant specializes in fusion cuisine, featuring dishes from various regions, making it quite diverse. Luo Tianhai suggested that he simplify the menu to better target his core customer base.

Since Luo Tianhai was willing to help him through the difficulties, Artur naturally wanted to place Chinese food in a more important position, and Luo Tianhai also cooperated by teaching him new dishes.

"Okay, okay, then I'm relieved." Feng Zhen slapped her thigh.

Luo Tianhai put his hands behind his back and said in a deep voice:
“At this time last year, we had just decided to open a restaurant in Lourmaran. Today, the restaurant is already making a profit of 30. I am confident that by this time next year, we can double that number.”

“No, no, that’s too slow, too slow!” Feng Zhen waved her arms. “Once that restaurant is fully operational, we’ll open a shop in Apte, then Avignon, and then beyond Vaucluse, to Aix-en-Provence, Marseille, Nice, and Cannes.”

As Feng Zhen spoke, she became increasingly excited, entering her imagined future, and said with rapt attention:

“Once Ronan and Zoe have a child, they won’t have to do anything or worry about money. They can just spend all their time with the child. Let me tell you, companionship is so important. I was busy with work back then and didn’t have much time to spend with Ronan. He’s just as dull and taciturn as you. He didn’t learn any of my liveliness and enthusiasm.”

Luo Tianhai smacked his lips:
"What are you talking about? And what's wrong with him taking after me? It's good for a boy to have a calm and steady personality."

Feng Zhen continued to wave her hand:

"What if it's a girl? What if it's twins? What if they have several children? Without the pressure of money, parents will have more time to spend with their children."

Luo Tianhai was too lazy to argue with Feng Zhen about this topic, so he obediently shut his mouth.

Women are not only more emotional, but also less reasonable. You won't get anywhere arguing with them; you'll only get caught up in their arguments.

But he stopped talking, while Feng Zhen continued waving her hand, and the gestures became increasingly larger.

"What are you doing?" Luo Tianhai asked, frowning.

Why are you acting so strangely today?

Menopause has already passed, hasn't it?
Feng Zhen threw the cushion over and roared:
"I told you to get out of the way! You're blocking my view of the TV! Didn't you see they're kissing on TV?!"

Luo Tianhai: "."

Luo Tianhai and Feng Zhen had just finalized their grand plan to make Luo Nan a rich second-generation heir when their precious son immediately encountered a situation where he needed to spend money.

Ronan, who was busy finding employees for the market, suddenly received an invitation from Sandrine to a party, asking him to take Zoe out for a special Provençal dinner.

Ronan readily agreed, saying that since it was a gathering, it should be lively, and he would invite Batty and Cafu to join, since the F4 hadn't seen each other in a long time.

But Sandrine told Ronan that it wouldn't be appropriate to invite anyone else this time, as Bruno had found a suitable forest near Lourmarin, and the gathering was mainly to discuss this matter.

"One of the three mountains has finally come crashing down on me," Ronan sighed silently to himself.

He knew the price of the forest; Lucas had just bought some at the beginning of last year. Growing black truffles requires specific terrain and topography; they can't be grown just anywhere. After deducting various subsidies, it cost about 9 francs per hectare.

Another year has passed, and the price must be over 10 now.

The area surrounding that forest also needs to have a sufficiently large ecological buffer zone. Tsk tsk tsk, that's another huge expense.

Bruno doesn't go home every day; he's often away on business trips.

So this was the second time Ronan and Zoe had visited this house, which was also far from the center of Lourmaran village, since the day they moved.

On the day of the move, Bruno's two children went to school and didn't see their boyfriend. Before Ronan's car was even turned off, two girls with braids rushed out of the house.

Zoe was very popular with children; whenever she went to the village to buy things, a group of kids would always follow her.

The two children were incredibly excited to know that Zoe was coming today, and they welcomed this big sister with hugs and kisses. She had two big dogs at home and lots of fun things in her yard. They also gave a shout-out to the big sister's brother.

Ronan wasn't surprised at all; he was often treated differently. He only said this to Zoe, who had one child in each arm:
"Won't our future children be treated this way too?"

Now that's great! When you encounter someone with low emotional intelligence, you can ask the child, "Do you like Daddy or Mommy more?" without hesitation.
“How could that be?” Zoe happily pulled the two children along. “It’s just because when they came to visit us a few months ago, I played with them for a long time and gave them lots of food. If you do that, the children will definitely like you too.”

Bruno's youngest daughter was still at the age of holding dolls, and she picked up the ugly, green plush doll in her hands:
"My sister also told the dog not to be mean to me!"

Bruno's eldest daughter immediately added:
"My sister even took me to see the ants' home!"

Ronan patted the two little ones' heads, and then patted Zoe's head last:
"You will definitely become an exceptionally wonderful mother."

When faced with marriage, Zoe was initially filled with trepidation and unease, worried that she would not be able to be a good wife.

But throughout it all, she never felt uneasy about becoming a mother someday, because she knew she could handle this new role, and Ronan thought so too.

Upon hearing the word 'Mom,' the two little ones suddenly grabbed Zoe and rushed into the house:
"Mom has prepared lots of delicious food tonight, sister, go and see!" Ronan and Zoe arrived early, so dinner would start a little later.

The two restless girls first pulled Zoe to play on the small blanket in the living room, then took her to the storage room and pointed out a spot where they saw a mouse. After a while, they pulled Zoe out of the house and said that under the locust tree, they witnessed their dog kill a guinea fowl that had appeared out of nowhere. Finally, the two girls said they would take Zoe to the nearby stream, as they had heard from a little boy in the neighborhood that there were many frogs there.

"Don't go out! Come back now, dinner will be ready soon!" Sandrine pushed open the kitchen window and stopped the two children, completely lacking the composure and calmness she usually displayed as a professional woman.

Ronan, who was chatting with his host in the kitchen, looked up and glanced up:
"It's okay, let them go play. I'll call them when it's time to eat."

Sandrine watched as the two children obediently went inside before she spoke:
“What girl goes to the creek to catch frogs? Zoe is dressed so nicely, she’ll get all dirty in a minute.”

Ronan said with a smile:
"Zoe is willing to play with children and might even give them animal lessons."

That's Zoe's specialty!
Sandrine smiled and shook her head, saying in an envious tone:
"You married a wife who is perfect in every way."

"Am I not perfect?" Bruno's bald head appeared, and he said enthusiastically, "Honey, I've already mixed the acacia pancake batter. Shall we make them now, or wait a bit?"

The dining table in Provence offers a different scene every month.

In early June, as the white blossoms of the acacia trees begin to wither and dry, the people of Provence give these clusters of white blossoms a new purpose—to soak them in cream batter and vanilla crepes.

This is a unique, limited-edition delicacy found only in the rural Provence region.

The fact that Bruno's family had brought out this dish less than a month after moving to Lourmaran surprised Ronan.

"Looks like you're fitting in well," Ronan said, looking at the acacia paste in Bruno's hand.

Bruno chuckled twice:
"Did Sandrine give you a heads-up? Tonight, we're having authentic Provençal country food."

After saying that, he added:
"Limited time offer for June!"

Weather permitting, Provençal people will definitely eat outdoors, especially in the evening.

Bruno and Sandrine insisted on not letting Ronan and Zoe help, so the young couple went to the yard to set up a table.

A green tin dining table, a white floral tablecloth, fresh red and white radishes laid out early in the morning, fresh figs that had just gone off the market a few days ago, sycamore trees overhead, the aroma of barbecue charcoal filling the air, and cicadas chirping in the ears.
If it weren't for the two girls chattering in his ear saying, "It gets dark later in Provence than in Paris," Ronan would have thought he was sitting in the backyard of Cornell, Pierre, or some authentic Lourmarin family.

“The Bruno family has integrated too quickly.” Ronan spread his hands and said to Zoe, “When I was a month after I came to Lourmaran, I was still eating bread at home, and they already know how to follow the seasons.”

Zoe took a moment to answer Ronan's question while playing with the two children:
“They must have been getting very close to the villagers lately.”

“That must be Sandrine,” Ronan said, arms crossed. “I don’t think Bruno would talk about cooking when he’s drinking with the farmers.”

"The appetizers are here!" Sandrine interrupted the young couple's conversation, setting down two plates. "Olive-pickled zucchini. Zucchini are so tender this season, we have to eat them while we can; asparagus season is almost over, we have to make the most of it and have a good meal. Several dishes today use them."

Bruno followed closely behind, carrying bread, butter, and salt.

"Kids, stop playing and get up to help. Go to the refrigerator and get the chilled rosé wine. I'm going to have a good drink with Uncle Ronan tonight."

“It’s the older brother!” the two little girls corrected seriously, obediently jumping off the chair.

"Call me Uncle from now on!" Bruno shouted as he watched his daughter's retreating figure.

Ronan patted Bruno, who looked speechless, with a mischievous grin:
"I can't wait to have a few drinks with you, Uncle."

All the ingredients at the dinner were in season; heaven knows how delicious food made with fresh ingredients can be.

The group ate in silence for nearly half an hour before finally bringing up a topic of conversation.

Bruno finished the last bite of lamb chop on his plate, then wiped the plate twice with an acacia pancake.
"I've found the right forest for you."

Ronan also put down his cutlery:

"After so many days without any news, I was worried that the search wasn't going well."

Bruno picked up his glass, took a sip of his drink, and explained to Ronan:

“Forests are everywhere, and even with the addition of various terrain and topographical conditions, finding one isn’t difficult. But I haven’t forgotten your most important requirements—cheap and within half an hour’s drive of Lourmaran. Adding these two points will take more time.”

Ronan also knew that things couldn't always go as he wished:

"It's okay, as long as it's not too far from Lourmaran, we can transport tourists there relatively smoothly. A higher price is fine."

If forced to choose between distance and price, Ronan would definitely choose distance.

No matter how good the project or how cheap the land, how many tourists will give up if they have to take a 40-minute drive and then hike for an hour through the wilderness?

The core of tourism is 'play' and 'have fun,' so convenience is very important.

Bruno patted Ronan on the shoulder:

"Originally, it was impossible to have both, but you're really lucky. I waited for a while with a try-it-out mentality, and I actually found a forest that was just the right distance away and the price was low."

"How much lower can it go?" Ronan leaned forward. "My partner bought a forest last year for over 9 francs per hectare."

Bruno patted his bald head and said:
"Yes, that should be the normal price, because most forests on the market are sold by the Forestry Bureau, and the pricing is subject to the General Administration's arrangements. But the forest I found for you this time is privately owned."

Women can't get a word in edgewise when it comes to men's conversations.

Zoe and Sandrine then started another conversation.

Zoe took a bite of today's dessert, 'Mint Rose Dessert,' another delicacy found only in the rural Provence:
“Ronan and I have been amazed countless times today at how quickly your family has integrated into Provence. I really can’t believe you’ve only been here for less than a month.”

Bruno's youngest daughter held up the hideously ugly green doll in her hand:
"I can vouch for it, my sister said it several times!"

Bruno's eldest daughter tore a piece of lamb chop apart with her bare hands:
"I can attest that my sister said it five times, and my brother said it three times!"

Sandrine filled the two children's glasses with juice made from strawberries freshly picked that morning:
"What I've seen and experienced this past month has taught Bruno and me a valuable lesson: cooking, gardening, and socializing are all part of life. They connect people and keep them closely connected to this land. You might not believe it, but this has been the happiest month of my life in over thirty years."

(End of this chapter)