1986: My Happy Life in Provence

Chapter 527 If there's no happiness, then create happiness.

The excitement of the goat race lasted for four or five days. Walking on the streets of Lourmaran, you could still hear villagers who participated telling those who missed it how interesting the day was.

What's interesting isn't just the competition and the money earned, but also the crazy scenes of everyone getting together.

Even Ronan couldn't shake off the afterglow of Bonito's music for a long time. Several times when he lay down, the ridiculous sight of the riders in the sheepfold would appear before his eyes.

However, Ronan's attention was quickly drawn away.

Because the wine cellar in Stella has passed inspection and is ready for use.

When the Lourmaran government informed Stella that the wine cellars in Stella could be completed and put into operation ahead of schedule, many people, including Ronan, were 'pessimistic'.

Despite the fact that rosé wine doesn't fetch a high price and is often looked down upon by locals, rosé wine cellars have higher requirements and are more difficult to build than those for storing red or white wine.

Rosé wine is one of the most delicate types of wine, requiring extreme conditions such as protection from light and oxidation.

Taking the three most common types of wine—red, white, and rosé—as examples, the core objectives for building a wine cellar are completely different for each type of wine.

The core design principle of red wine cellars is to 'slow down the aging process,' with the goal of making the wine better the longer it ages. Therefore, a greater emphasis is placed on the stability of the cellar environment.

Except for very high-end white wines which have a certain aging potential, most white wines are enjoyed fresh, so cellar design will take 'easy access' into consideration.

Rosé wines have almost no aging potential. Some say that 'rosé wine is the fresh berry of wine,' and the role of the cellar is to provide the most careful care.

How much care must it take?
Let's start with temperature.

The cellar temperature for Provence red wines is typically set between 12°C and 18°C. In other regions, the temperature range may vary depending on the environment, as the key to storing red wine is to allow it to mature slowly and develop more complex and diverse aromas.

White wines are meant to be enjoyed fresh, so cellar temperatures are kept lower to preserve the fruit aromas and acidity. Provençal white wine cellars typically maintain temperatures between 7°C and 13°C, but white wine regions at higher latitudes may lower storage temperatures by another 3-5 degrees. As long as the goal of low-temperature preservation is achieved, the temperature range is quite wide.

Rosé wines, which require extreme preservation, have very strict requirements for cellar temperature. Regardless of the region or latitude, the temperature must be within the range of 9°C to 12°C. Higher or lower temperatures will risk oxidation, which will ruin the original romantic pink color and cause it to turn colorless or brown.

Besides having extremely high temperature requirements, rosé wine cellars also have the highest requirements for light protection. While red and white wines are afraid of ultraviolet rays, rosé wines are afraid of all kinds of light. Light exposure will cause rosé wines to fade, which will then produce a light-damaged taste and affect their refreshing flavor.

These three types of wine also have different attitudes towards oxygen.

A small amount of oxygen slowly permeates into the red wine through the cork, which helps it age.

White wine can be slightly oxidized, which will not ruin the color, but will only add a new layer of flavor.

However, rosé wine is strictly protected from oxidation in order to maintain its bright color and crisp texture.

No one in Lourmaran had ever participated in the construction of the rosé wine cellar. Every step was taken tentatively. In addition, the cellar was completed almost a month ahead of schedule due to the stringent environmental requirements. The only way to achieve this was through Theo's words and the little leather whip in his hand.

No matter what complaints you may have about Theo’s personality or other aspects, no one can find fault with him on this point. In fact, you might even have to say a few good things about him, especially on the day the wine cellar was inspected and ready for official use.

"Theo's departure was ill-timed. If he were here, he would definitely have been awarded an award today. Look at this wine cellar, it's so well-built."

"Yes, how could Theo, such a great contributor, not be here? You know what, I actually missed him a little today."

"Theo and Lucas will be going back to Lourmaran soon. If you miss him, just tell him when you see him."

In fact, Lucas's market development work by the sea had long ended, but the seaside is the largest sales channel for rosé wine, and the residents' acceptance of rosé wine is the highest compared to other parts of Provence.

The next frontier will be the tough nut to crack, Avignon and Châteauneuf-du-Pape, where it will likely be difficult to achieve anything significant.

Market development also includes some distribution work. To help Theo quickly understand and become familiar with the job, Lucas spent a few more days near Nice, but the two brothers will be back soon.

To be honest, although Theo had only been gone a few days, Ronan missed him quite a bit.

These were some of the first farmer friends he made in Lourmaran, and he was quite an interesting man.

After the inspection, Ronan stood in the wine cellar, which was flawless and exactly the same as the previous design concept. He thought to himself that he had to reward Theo when he returned. He had done a great job supervising the project.

Of course, Lucas was also rewarded.

This guy sends back good news almost every few days: the markets in those coastal cities are getting bigger and bigger.

Both brothers need to be treated, and they came back together, or should they just "get together"?
One day at noon, Ronan gathered several of his St. Scottish buddies together:
"I'd like to throw a 'welcome ceremony' for Lucas and Theo, preferably with a fun theme. Do you have any good ideas?"

The people of Provence love nothing more than eating and drinking.

The two brothers have come back from the beach, and they must have a lot to say about their experiences and boasts. Ronan plans to create a comfortable and relaxing environment for them.

However, it would be best if it had something more special than a regular dinner party.

The Bonigno Goat Race made Ronan really enjoy the atmosphere of a group of people getting together to drink and chat.

Taking advantage of this 'welcome party', he organized a dinner for the Stellar employees at his home.

The dinner was also to prepare for what's to come.

With the wine cellar completed, Ronan and Jerome will soon be clearing out the inventory, marking the official transfer of Stella's rosé business to Lourmarin. It's time to get everyone together and give them a pep talk.

Cornell raised his hand and spoke enthusiastically:

"What Lucas cares about most is definitely that truffle experimental forest you partnered on. How about we design the 'welcome party' with truffles as the theme?"

Ronan shook his head frantically, his face filled with terror:
"Whether that experimental forest will be successful is still unknown. There are too many uncertainties. The truffle theme will only increase Lucas's anxiety. Let's just forget about it."

Ever since Ronan bought a new forest in Lourmarin to conduct truffle experiments, he doesn't even need to see truffles or hear the word; just glancing in the direction of that forest will trigger feelings of anxiety and unease.

Although the 10 hectares figure was calculated meticulously, deep down in Ronan's mind, a little voice kept nagging—what's the difference between you and Lucas last year? Isn't this just gambling?
Ronan now understands Lucas's situation from last year very well. A truffle theme is definitely out of the question.

However, Ronan is a little different from Lucas last year.

Faced with immense pressure and anxiety, Lucas chose to bear it all alone.

Ronan chose to join Professor Fernand's experimental team to alleviate his anxiety through the knowledge provided by the system.

Whether or not practical help will be provided is still unknown, but we can't just wait and worry.

The professor has almost finished his preparations and will lead his students to Lourmaran in early July. After that, Ronan will have to devote some of his energy to the forest.

Lucas left everyone with the impression that he lacked nothing, often spent money to treat everyone to drinks, and was very extravagant. It would be difficult to win his favor, so the only option was to target his younger brother, Theo.

Henry knew his nemesis best:
"Theo, that muscle-bound simpleton, likes nothing but cars, guns, and mechanical things. He's so vulgar."

Ronan's first reaction was to shake his head again:

“If there were a car or a gun at the scene, Theo would definitely drive off and go crazy or open fire if he got drunk, you believe me? I don’t want to turn a welcome party into a farewell party, a farewell party for Theo to be taken to the police station.”

There's a guy in St. Scott's named Duma who's more reliable:
"Lucas treated Margaret like his own daughter. Theo's family kept donkeys, rabbits, dogs, and cats. The two brothers seemed to really like small animals."

Cornell clapped his hands:
"Lucas also said he would give Anna a pony, as his whole family loves animals."

This time, Ronan didn't shake his head hastily, but asked with a less-than-pleasant expression, "An animal-themed welcome party? That's a bit abstract; I don't have any images of it."

"How could there be no footage?" Duma suddenly became agitated. "It's the atmosphere of a goat race!"

Clearly, the influence of Duma's Bonnijer has not yet dissipated.

And like Duma, there are quite a few people who are still reflecting on it.

Henry scoffed from the side, it was unclear whether he was feeling sorry or relieved:

"Theo must be regretting not participating in Bonillo's activities, but the guy deserved it."

It's been a few days since they returned from Bonnillo, but these Lourmaran people keep talking about that day, which shows how much fun they had.

Several more people spoke, all agreeing with the topic, which made Ronan's expression even more contorted:

"So what should we do? Organize a goat race in Lourmaran?"

The absurdity and madness of the Provençal people were far beyond Ronan's comprehension, given his normal little brain. While he was completely clueless, the Lourmarin people had already come up with more than a dozen ideas to prolong their happiness.

“We don’t need to follow Bonijo’s example. We can race pigs or dogs, or even ride donkeys. These animals are very common in Lourmaran, and I’m sure many people will sign up!”

"Or how about we hold a 'Frog Beauty Contest'? I saw a lot of shops in Bonnieux advertising lamb legs, don't you think frog legs are the most beautiful? Let's see who catches the frog with the longest legs!"

"Frogs are hard to catch. The kids have caught all the frogs near the stream, and there's no other water source nearby. The barrier to entry is too high. If you ask me, let's have a dog race. Lucas and Theo both have dogs. When they get back, they can immediately send the two of them and their dogs to the race without saying a word. Haha, I can already imagine Theo looking ridiculous, cursing and wanting to win first place."

"This isn't really a good idea. How could Lucas bear to let Margaret compete?"

"Didn't Lucas buy a new dog?"

Lucas had everything he needed, and there was no way to use Theo's favorite things. In addition, Ronan couldn't come up with any other themes for the time being. Although Ronan was very reluctant, he still acquiesced to the animal-themed welcome party, but he didn't have a single image in his mind.

"Okay then, you guys can plan and prepare for this. If you need money, go to Zoe to apply for it, and use Stella's accounts. On that day, everyone put aside what you're doing and have a good get-together."

"Don't worry, I'll definitely get it done!"

The next day, Ronan drove to Avignon.

After settling the remaining rosé wine, Jerome will officially retire and go to Madrid to enjoy his retirement. Before that, he needs to help Ronan solve the problem of the second airbag press.

Once he leaves, Ronan won't be able to find a way to buy a good and cheap machine.

After waiting for nearly half a year, only one second-hand airbag press appeared on the market, so Ronan had to buy a new one this time.

Actually, the two of them had discussed the airbag press a few months ago—if there weren't any suitable used ones, they would buy a new one.

The responsible Jerome had already found suitable and inexpensive items and was just waiting for Ronan to come and buy them.

The two met at the agreed time and place, and in less than twenty minutes, Ronan paid 15 francs to acquire the machine.

"I really hate to see you go," Ronan said from the bottom of his heart at the entrance of the machinery store.

The brewing equipment was practically a gift from Jerome. Jerome also helped Ronan find the two most crucial pieces of equipment, the airbag press. Jerome also contributed a great deal to Ronan, such as the temperature control system he bought when building the cellar.

Ronan was truly reluctant to let this guy go.

Whenever the topic of leaving came up, Jerome would always laugh and joke around.
"Haven't the emotions calmed down after six months? I thought you all had accepted this fact."

Jerome announced his intention to sell Stellar and retire at a rosé enthusiasts' gathering earlier this year; indeed, six months have passed since then.

"You have to go to the party at the end of the month, right?" Ronan asked with concern.

Ines had already informed the members that the gathering, which had been suspended for several months, would resume at the end of this month, and Ronan knew that Jerome would still be in Provence by then.

Jerome shook his head:
"not going."

"Why aren't we going?" Ronan caught up with Jerome, who was driving. They were going to Papal Newcastle for a stock handover.

Jerome, with his back to Ronan, gave a meaningful smile:

"I already said goodbye at the last gathering, and I don't want to say goodbye to you all a second time."

That would make me even more reluctant to leave you and this land.

“Hey, Ronan will never have imagined we’ve given him such a big surprise!” On the D53 highway, 5 kilometers from Lourmaran, Theo sat in the passenger seat of Lucas, shaking his head with schadenfreude.

Lucas, with a cigarette dangling from his mouth and a relaxed expression, asked Theo:
"Which surprise was it that we brought back an unexpectedly large order, or that we returned before the agreed time?"

"Yes, definitely! I brought back a huge order on my first trip out, isn't that a pleasant surprise?" Theo's eyes remained fixed ahead, hoping to see the familiar Lourmaran Castle soon. "I've been gone for so long, Ronan must miss me, haha, I'm going to sneak under the cashier and scare him when he's not looking!"

Lucas said with a smile:
"Have you forgotten that we came back early to help me tidy up the house so that Emily and Gilanie can move in comfortably?"

Emily is Lucas's wife, and Gilani is Lucas's son.

They will all move back to Lucamaran from Marseille with Lucas.

To help his wife and children adapt to the pace of life here quickly, Lucas decided to come back early to make preparations.

This is also because Theo got up to speed very quickly, faster than Lucas expected, and they recently landed a big deal at the beach and wanted to tell Ronan about it personally.

Of course, there was another reason—the naive Theo wanted to give Ronan a surprise.

"I haven't forgotten! I'll come help you after I see Ronan," Theo shouted excitedly. "I can see the castle! We've arrived in Lourmaran!"

Throughout the journey, Theo's main emotion was excitement; he wanted to get home as soon as possible.

But when the car actually entered Lourmaran, he lost his excitement and was left with only a head full of questions.

The closer they got to the center of the village, the more cars and pedestrians there were, and the slower the cars moved, which allowed Lucas and Theo to see many details on both sides.

"What is Alpi doing? Why is he leading his pig onto the road?"

"Is that Hurnold and his son? Are they riding donkeys?"

"Wait, Lucas, slow down! I think I saw a kid with a fish on his head run past? Am I seeing things?"

"Damn it, what's wrong with Lourmaran?" Theo asked, sticking his whole head out.

The next second, a gasp came from behind him, sounding like Cornell.

"Damn it, Theo, why are you back early?" Cornell stared wide-eyed, holding up two frogs.

(End of this chapter)