1986: My Happy Life in Provence

Chapter 523 I really have no ability
There is no doubt that both Leah and Ronan have the ability and skill to train in Avignon.

However, Ronan was used to taking on the hard and tiring work himself, so he never considered the possibility of letting Leah go to Avignon.

Leah was very firm in her stance, believing that if she accepted the job of managing the dessert and bakery, she had to take on the corresponding responsibilities from the very beginning.

Leah is no longer the hesitant, insecure, and escapist woman she was last year. Now, this woman in her forties exudes confidence and determination.

Ronan wasn't the only one with similar feelings. When he occasionally talked to friends and family about Leah's changes over the past year, they all mentioned that they saw Zoe's shadow in Leah.

This statement is not quite appropriate; how can one say that a mother reflects her daughter?
But everyone in Lourmaran knows that Zoe is the epitome of confidence and success.

At first, Ronan wanted to argue with Leah, but Zoe, Louis and Vieri approached him one after another, hoping that he would not stop Leah from going to Avignon.

Zoe: "I know you don't want Mom to work hard, but this is also a stage for her to shine. Mom needs to find more confidence before the dessert and bakery opens."

Vieri: "The future dessert and bakery will be managed by Mom. It's best for her to find suitable helpers. I'm very sure of that. Just agree to let Mom go to Avignon. She really wants to go."

Louis: "I'll pick up and drop off Leah every week, and I'll stay with her in Avignon. Don't worry, Ronan, it's not a chore at all. I'm already looking forward to it."

With so many lobbyists present, Ronan had no choice but to accept the conclusion and give the foundation a response.

The Provence Women's Foundation was very satisfied with Ronan's arrangements. Although Lia's reputation in the pastry world was not as great as Ronan's, as she said, having a female instructor to train women in cooking skills would motivate them to learn more diligently and as hard as they could.

And so, Leah, who had spent her whole life in the kitchen, bravely stepped into the bigger 'kitchen' and 'stage'.

The third shop on the commercial street has finally been secured, which should have been a happy occasion.

That is indeed the case.

Ronan, Louis's family, and the women in the restaurant were all happy for Ronan and Leah. But one person seemed a little off.

After more than a month of Luo Tianhai's efforts, Artur's new restaurant has escaped the predicament of bankruptcy, and its business and reputation have gradually improved, so he no longer needs to travel so frequently.

Luo Tianhai had been traveling between the two places frequently lately, and he hadn't been able to make use of any of the rest days that Luo Nan had arranged for him. Thinking that he hadn't taken his wife out for a long time, Luo Tianhai suggested that since the summer vacation had just begun and the peak tourist season hadn't started yet, the two of them should go to the beach for a vacation.

“I hear Ronan and Freddie talking about how fun Nice, Cannes, and Monaco are every day. We should go there too.” Luo Tianhai was unusually romantic, looking at his wife Feng Zhen and saying, “Buy whatever you want, eat whatever you want, do whatever you want. Let’s go and be rich.”

Feng Zhen looked at the melodramatic TV series in front of her and replied in a low mood:

"Okay, I'll ask Ronan and Zoe tomorrow if they want to come along for a couple of days."

Ronan and Zoe's public notice period for their marriage has ended, and their wedding will proceed smoothly in mid-to-late July.

As the date drew closer, Feng Zhen cherished the time she spent with her son more and more. If she wanted to go out, she wanted to go with her son.

Luo Tianhai thought for a moment:
“Ronan probably can’t go. Vieri has a few classmates who are interested in making desserts and may want to come and learn. Leah will be going to training later and won’t have much energy. Ronan will be responsible for teaching them. Also, after Leah goes to the dessert shop, she will need to appoint a dessert manager, which I can’t help with. Ronan will have to solve problems at the restaurant these days.”

After saying that, he looked at his wife:

“Zoe has even less time. She’s already busy with work, and now she has to design equipment for Leah’s dessert shop. Let me tell you, it’s not easy for me to squeeze out these few days. Let’s just go, the two of us. Once the new shop on the commercial street starts renovations, I won’t be able to leave Lourmaran.”

Feng Zhen forcefully threw and squeezed the cushion in her hand, then lifted her buttocks and walked away.

"Okay, okay, you're all very busy people, and I'm the only one with nothing to do, but I don't want to go!"

Luo Nan pushed open the door to his home and saw his mother's back as she angrily climbed the stairs, her large hips swaying and making the stairs creak. He asked Luo Tianhai:
"What did you do now? Why did you make Mom so angry?"

"Me—" Luo Tianhai wanted to explain speechlessly, but suddenly he thought of something and seriously chased after him upstairs, "Don't worry about adult matters. There's a melon in the refrigerator, cut it up and eat it yourself."

Ronan pursed his lips and went to the kitchen to get a melon.

Luo Tianhai caught up just in time; the couple went upstairs only about ten seconds apart.

But when he saw Feng Zhen again, she was already crying uncontrollably.

Feng Zhen lay face down on the bed, clutching the blanket tightly in her hands, her legs swinging up and down, and she made indistinct "woo woo woo" sounds.

Luo Tianhai quickly went over and put his arm around his wife's shoulder:

"Leave a little gap, don't suffocate yourself."

Feng Zhen, who was frail and delicate, was lifted up by Luo Tianhai. The weight of the object was completely disproportionate to her 160-pound weight.

Under the dim light, her pitiful appearance, with tears streaming down her face, was exactly like that of a wronged heroine in a Qiong Yao drama:

“Tenkai, am I particularly incompetent? The women of Lourmarin have become rich through their own hard work, and Lia is about to become a famous pastry chef in Provence, while I, I, I am just a vase without any skills.”

Feng Zhen leaned against Luo Tianhai's chest as if she had no bones, and from somewhere produced a handkerchief to half-cover her eyes, saying with a broken and fragile air:

"I'm so happy for them, but I also really feel like I'm not capable enough. Before, Ronan said that women in Paris weren't as capable as women in Provence, and I didn't agree with that. Now I— *sobs*

Luo Tianhai looked like he'd been constipated for half a month. He wanted to sue the French television stations for broadcasting those melodramatic romance dramas that were corrupting middle-aged women, but the hot tears falling onto his arm reminded him that his wife was indeed having emotional problems.

"How could you not be capable? You're the most capable," Luo Tianhai awkwardly comforted him. "Under your leadership, our family is doing so well now."

Feng Zhen raised her head and asked in a thick nasal voice:
"Tell me more about my skills."

Luo Tianhai's mind went blank. He thought to himself, "Isn't this how the scenes in TV dramas are supposed to be?"

Then Feng Zhen cried even harder, sobbing loudly:

"I knew you were lying to me. I can't do anything, I don't understand anything!"

Feng Zhen's emotions came and went quickly.

It's also possible that Luo Tianhai doesn't know how to comfort her, and it's pointless for her to cry on her own.

About five minutes later, Feng Zhen said, sobbing:
"I'm thirsty, go get me some cantaloupe, chilled."

"Alright." Luo Tianhai left with a sigh of relief.

Turning my head, I saw four heads peeking through the crack in the door, eight big, dark eyes staring into the room at the same time.

The person at the top awkwardly forced a smile, held up the melon with teeth marks on it, and mouthed:
"Is it okay if I bite off half of it?"

Luo Tianhai secretly chased the two dogs, the sheep, and the person who had been watching the commotion downstairs, and angrily asked Luo Nan in a low voice:

Why were you eavesdropping?

Ronan was so wronged:
"It's hard not to hear it. My mom was crying so loudly that I thought the owl had lost its baby again."

Luo Tianhai took out a fresh melon from the refrigerator and washed it under the tap:
"Don't tell your mother you heard it; she's very concerned about her image."

Ronan, with great perceptiveness, helped his father set out the fruit-cutting board and knives:
Why is Mommy crying?

To be honest, Luo Tianhai didn't want to tell Ronan about this.

He had guessed the reason downstairs, but he chose to chase after her. Reality, however, dealt him a heavy blow—he truly had no skill when it came to winning over women.

Luo Nan happens to be very talented at coaxing Feng Zhen. Although Feng Zhen would roll her eyes at him and act like she wasn't buying it whenever Luo Nan tried to sweet-talk her, Luo Tianhai knew very well that she was completely swayed by it.

In utter desperation, he told his son what Feng Zhen had just said and his own guesses:
"You should know that your mother has a sensitive and delicate heart beneath her carefree exterior. With so many changes happening to women in Lourmaran recently, she can't help but feel a little inferior while she's happy for others."

Luo Tianhai said while cutting the melon:

"You may not know this, but your mom has always wanted to help you, to help you earn more money, to help you save more money. She always says that it seems like everyone can help you, but she just can't."

Hearing Luo Tianhai's explanation, Luo Nan felt extremely guilty.

He completely ignored the emotional needs of his vulnerable and sensitive mother.
Luo Tianhai stopped what he was doing and looked at Luo Nan:
"But don't take it too hard. She'll be fine after she's finished crying. I'll take her to the beach in a few days."

Ronan, leaning against the cabinet behind him, said:

"But this only treats the symptoms, not the root cause."

Luo Tianhai straightened up and sighed:
"To be honest, your mom is just too idle. I'll try to find her something to do after we get back from the beach."

"What is it?" Ronan asked curiously.

"I haven't decided yet," Luo Tianhai shook his head. "But try to coax her more these days. You're sweet-talking, and your mom falls for that."

Ronan tilted his head, disagreeing, and said:

“But I think Mom would be happier if you were sweeter. You were so bad just now. I really wish Louis would teach a course on how to provide emotional value to your wife.”

Louis and Luo Tianhai are two extremes.

He is a man who understands the ways of marriage and is used to cherishing his wife.

He knew nothing, so his wife could only comfort herself.

It can only be said that Feng Zhen is incredibly magnanimous; anyone else living with Luo Tianhai would have been driven mad long ago.

Luo Tianhai shook his head violently:

"I can't, I can't say those kinds of things."

Just thinking about the sweet nothings Louis had said made him shudder.

Ronan sighed:

"So you're just going to watch Mom deal with her emotional problems all by herself? It's not just those women around us who have changed. Lucas hasn't changed, Theo hasn't changed, Henry hasn't changed. You should change your ways too, Dad."

Ronan said a few words and then went upstairs, leaving Luo Tianhai to think about it on his own.

Luo Tianhai may be bad at talking, but he's a giant in action.

To make his wife happy, he cut the melon into diamond shapes, which resembled the chocolate the female lead in the soap opera she was currently watching liked.

Every time there's a scene where the female lead is given chocolate, Feng Zhen has to mutter something like this:
"What brand of chocolate is this? It looks delicious."

Although Luo Tianhai didn't give any response, he remembered it. When he went to Apte, he even looked for this brand of chocolate in the supermarket there, but he couldn't find it.

Holding this plate of 'chocolate' melons, Luo Tianhai began to wonder if seeing them would make his wife a little happier.

Of course he wanted to make his wife happy.

However, taking that first step requires motivation.
Then he remembered what Ronan had just said.

Even the proud Lucas could lower his head.

Henry, who was defiant of everyone, found Mr. Ronan, whom he wanted to protect for the rest of his life.

Lazy Theo works a day job and then goes back to knitting at night.

Who among these people isn't in a more serious 'condition' than Luo Tianhai?
If they can all make changes, why can't I?

Stopping at the bedroom door, Luo Tianhai took a deep breath, trying to recall what plot points or elements his wife was currently watching could be used.

That was Feng Zhen's favorite TV series in recent months, without a doubt. She loved it so much that even when she went out to parties, she would watch the latest episodes at other people's houses.

If we cater to her preferences, perhaps her mood can be changed immediately?

Soon, Luo Tianhai remembered a scene.

The male lead in the TV series has a catchphrase, and every time he says it, Feng Zhen will hum a couple of times coyly, looking like a young girl in love.

With a determined heart and a stomp of his foot, Luo Tianhai decided that his change would begin from this moment!
He cleared his throat, deliberately imitating the deep, magnetic voice of the male lead in a TV drama, and bravely pushed open the bedroom door:
"Hey baby, your little Marseille sun is here to feed you chocolate, open your mouth—"

The next second, time stood still.

Five pairs of large, dark eyes, whether standing, squatting, lying down, or sprawled near the bed, stared in shock at the doorway.

Immediately following this, Luo Tianhai's cursing, Luo Nan's loud laughter, Feng Zhen's shy giggles, the excited barking of dogs (who didn't know what had happened), and the frightened bleating of sheep all erupted at the same time.

"Ronan, get out of here!!" Luo Tianhai kicked him.

"Babies, get out of here! We're not in the way!" Ronan mimicked his father's accent as he ran away with his head in his hands.

"How annoying! Why are you calling me 'baby'? It's so embarrassing!" Feng Zhen buried her head under the covers.

Feng Zhen is easy to coax.

Luo Tianhai's simple "baby" swept away her gloom.

Ronan, however, did not let the matter rest.

The mother is sensitive, and this kind of emotion is likely to recur, making her unhappy.

He began to wonder if he could artificially create some sense of superiority for his mother.

Ronan is the type of person who acts on his ideas; once he has an idea, he'll start implementing it.

First, he needed to understand what things in Provence could give people a sense of superiority, so he began to pay close attention to local Provençal newspapers and magazines, hoping to find inspiration.

One day, he went to the mailbox at the door to pick up the "Provence Daily".

Upon opening it, I found that all four full pages of photos had been transformed into various kinds of sheep, which meant that this year's goat race had begun.

(End of this chapter)