1986: My Happy Life in Provence

Chapter 529 Custody Battle
When Lucas and Theo returned to Lourmaran from the seaside, the happiest people weren't Ronan or the farmers who came to drink with them every day; the happiest people in all of Lourmaran were the two dogs.

Margaret and Blackie finally ended their nearly year-long, on-and-off long-distance relationship and got married!

Lucas takes Margaret with him wherever he goes, and since he came back early to tidy up the house this time, he naturally brought his beloved daughter back with him.

Worried that cleaning the house would make the 'Queen' uncomfortable with the dust, Lucas offered to send Margaret to Ronan's house for a temporary stay.

The main issue was visiting other people's homes, which Margaret didn't want to do.

But this stay turned out to be quite something.
When Lucas went to Ronan's house to pick up the dog the next day, Margaret refused to leave. The more Lucas called her, the farther she ran away, breaking the old father's heart.

When Lucas lost all his money on his truffle experiments last year, he didn't seem this disappointed.

He stared at Margaret, who was skipping happily behind Little Black, and asked Ronan sadly:

"What should we do? Margaret doesn't want to go home."

I shouldn't have let my good daughter stay out all night!
Look, this is a huge problem!!
Ronan suppressed a laugh and said:

“I don’t like hearing that. Isn’t this Margaret’s home?”

Lucas looked very serious.

“I will not let her stay here. I have been taking care of Margaret personally since she was three months old.”

Margaret is of noble birth, has maxed out her skills, and is also very wealthy.

Even when Ronan was anxious, he never dared to use force.

Who told his son, Xiao Hei, to be so incompetent?
But things are different now.

Ronan's dream of becoming a rich kid is a bit difficult, but Blackie and Marseille are definitely rich dogs.

Most importantly, Blackie is the most popular male dog in all of Lourmaran, and there are plenty of female dogs who have designs on him.

Although we won't make money, we're young and popular.

She would be a perfect match for Margaret.
With this newfound confidence, Ronan spoke with more conviction:
"Xiao Hei came to my home in less than two months, and I couldn't bear to let him leave me."

Lucas sighed deeply, his eyebrows furrowing as if he were pondering how to fight Ronan for custody.

It hasn't been easy for these two dogs; they've overcome long-distance relationship, age difference, and status disparity. They can't afford to break up over such a small issue. After careful consideration, Ronan sincerely suggested:
"As you can see, the two of them really can't be separated right now. How about this, Margaret and Little Black can take turns staying at our house. What do you think?"

Lucas wanted to say no, but he couldn't come up with any other solution at the moment, so he had no choice but to acquiesce.

It's much, much better to leave for a while than to lose my precious daughter forever.

The Lucas family usually only lives in Lourmaran during the winter, but this time they will be spending the summer there. They need to buy some new things for their home and do a thorough cleaning, so the house is quite messy. Therefore, the two dogs will stay at Ronan's house for the time being until Lucas's house is cleaned up.

When a new member suddenly arrived at the family, the pampered Margaret, the Ronan family's "spirit" changed completely.

I heard that Margaret's meals are exceptionally good. Lucas cooks all three meals a day himself, and Feng Zhen brings her food at noon and in the evening. She has meat with every meal.

Luo Tianhai, who loves dogs very much, would often go home and neglect his work. He spoke softly and gently to Margaret.

"I told you to rest more, but you absolutely refused. Now you're skipping work for Margaret's sake?" Ronan went to the restaurant to look for Luo Tianhai but couldn't find him, and no one could explain where he had gone.

When I got home, good heavens, Luo Tianhai was at home petting his dog.

Ronan didn't receive this kind of treatment when he was a child.

Looking at it this way, I feel like I was picked up from a garbage dump.

Feng Zhen touched the meat she had just brought back with her lips and retorted to Ronan:
“You’re not mute, you can tell me when you’re hungry or thirsty. Dogs can’t talk, so you have to pay more attention to them.”

Luo Tianhai squatted beside the sofa, carefully combing Margaret's fur:

"Lucas treats his pets so well, so we naturally have to be careful. We don't want to find any problems when we get back, otherwise it will be difficult to get them to come back to live here."

"Come on, dinner's ready—" Feng Zhen brought over three large bowls and placed them on the ground. "Each person gets a serving of beef, half a chicken, and an apple. Don't fight over it."

As she passed by Xiao Hei, she patted the dog's head twice.
"Xiao Hei is really amazing, he married such a beautiful wife!"

Luo Tianhai, who was trying hard to overcome his tongue-tied personality, chuckled and replied:

"This is a fine tradition in our Luo family: every man can marry a beautiful and outstanding wife."

Ronan was just saying it; in reality, he cared most about Margaret and was spending more time at home.

He knew Lucas's personality all too well. If he didn't take good care of Margaret, this guy really could do something like "breaking up a couple," and he wouldn't give Ronan any face even if the other party was Ronan.

Furthermore, because Margaret and Blackie were inseparable, Ronan showed Blackie much more care and affection than before.

I want to cuddle with my dog ​​while chatting, playing with him, grooming him, feeding him treats, and even while he sleeps.

But this disrupted the 'balance' in the family.

Xiao Hei has a very independent personality. It is usually quiet and has a low profile, but if you turn around, you can always find it waiting not far away.

Marseille is clingy and usually quite boisterous, with a very high presence. If anyone ignores it, it will hold a grudge for days.

For example, recently, a sudden change in the behavior of a family of three drove Marseille crazy.

Why aren't you following me around anymore?
Am I not your most beloved baby?

You don't love me anymore!!
But Ronan knew Marseille's personality all too well; his performances—hunger strikes, feigning pitifulness, feigning illness—were repeatedly exposed.

"Alright, stop acting." Ronan laughed and kicked the limping Marseille in the rear, then put another bone into its bowl. "That's enough. Blackie is generous; he never holds grudges against you or tries to win your favor. Think about it yourself: how much extra attention and care have you received this past year? Now that you're giving Blackie and Margaret a little more, you can't handle it? Okay, stop being angry. Come on, eat more."

The last week of August.

Leah started taking pastry training courses in Avignon.

For a long time, Leah never left the kitchen; with her there, the women felt reassured.

Although she had made work arrangements for the two days in Avignon in advance, the dessert section inevitably encountered some unexpected situations during her first trip away from home.

Fortunately, Ronan was prepared and had been in the makeshift dessert kitchen since early morning, managing to resolve the unexpected situations one by one.

“It’s a good thing Ronan is here, otherwise I would always feel uneasy. Actually, there’s nothing I can’t handle, but I just don’t feel confident.” Nicola chatted with the women while cracking eggs. “So, Leah is really amazing. She not only takes care of her own things, but also keeps an eye on what we’re doing.”

“Lia is amazing in more ways than that. At this time, she should already be teaching more than seventy women in Avignon. Just thinking about that scene makes me nervous. I dare not go.”

"We're still a long way from being as good as Leah."

In fact, the women's abilities are not a big problem; they just lack self-confidence and become nervous when their pillar of support leaves.

In solving this problem, Lourmaran had someone who did it exceptionally well. Ronan, imitating Batty, encouraged them:
“Lia has also gotten to where she is today step by step. You know better than I do what she was like last year. If she can do it, you can too.”

A woman's insecure muttering:
“But Leah has always been good at making desserts since she was a child; it’s a talent.”

Ronan smiled and pointed to himself:
"I used to be a terrible cook. You've probably heard my mom tell embarrassing stories about me when I was little, right? I even cooked eggs terribly. But cooking is really something that you can improve with practice, especially with such amazing teachers like you."

He picked up a small plate containing beautifully crafted almond chocolates:

"This chocolate is so delicious, how can you say you can't do it? If you ask me, any one of you could be a teacher and teach your apprentices."

As it turns out, appropriate praise does indeed help build confidence, and Nicola took the lead in encouraging everyone:
"In a few months, Leah will be going to the dessert shop, and Ronan can't stay here every day. We'll have to rely on ourselves at the restaurant, so while Leah is still here, everyone should study hard and improve quickly, understand?"

"That's for sure. I can't be worse than those high school students Ronan taught. I think those kids are quite hardworking too."

"Of course! We must keep both restaurants running smoothly so that Leah can go to the dessert shop without worry!"

Vieri had three classmates who were interested in making desserts.

Ronan considered that the dessert shop couldn't be staffed entirely by older women in the future, and that some fresh blood could be added.

This way, I can maintain my physical strength and also learn about the latest trends in the world of young people, which I can then incorporate into their dessert creations.

But Leah no longer had the energy to teach, so the training job fell to Ronan.

Seeing that the women had relaxed considerably, Ronan left the dessert kitchen. The three of Vieri's classmates were coming in the evening, and he needed to make some teaching preparations in advance.

As soon as he came out, he saw Feng Zhen running towards him in a panic:

"Your father said Marseille has a limp!"

Ronan, without even looking up, said:

"Don't you know Marseille? This isn't the first time. I checked the other day, the foot was fine, the bones were okay, it must be fake."

Feng Zhen said nervously:

“But your dad said that when he went back to check today, the dog’s whole paw was swollen.”

"What?" Ronan stared wide-eyed in disbelief.

Lourmaran has no veterinarians, so if someone's animal gets sick and can't treat it themselves, they'll first go to 'animal expert' Freddy.

Luo Tianhai took Marseille to Freddie's slaughterhouse on the outskirts of Mena village first, and Ronan arrived later with Feng Zhen.

Upon entering, Ronan saw Marseille clinging to Luo Tianhai as if it had no bones. Its chest heaved violently, and its eyes were narrowed, leaving only a slit, as if it had contracted some incurable disease.

Ronan wanted to make a joke: Little Black inherited the fine traditions of the men in his family and married a beautiful and excellent wife, while Marseille 'inherited' her mother—a character from a romance novel!
The scene before him resembled what he had seen through the crack in the door that day.
But seeing Luo Tianhai's serious expression, Luo Nan swallowed his words.

"Why is your foot suddenly swollen?" Ronan walked over, squatted down, and raised his chubby little paw, which had become a fist.

"Suddenly?" Feng Zhen interrupted Ronan from behind, "Didn't you say you noticed it was lame a few days ago, but you didn't pay attention!"

Ronan's inability to explain:
“Because this isn’t the first time he’s pretended to be lame. You all know he’s been throwing a tantrum lately and feels like we’re ignoring him.”

After saying that, he looked at Marseille's feet:

"But I swear, there was nothing wrong with my foot or my bones that day. I really had it checked."

Freddie, wearing white gloves, shrugged at Ronan:

"I'm afraid you've really misunderstood it this time."

Marseille swayed uncomfortably, and Ronan quickly lowered the paw he was holding, anxiously asking Freddie:
"Is it very sick? What kind of disease is it? Is it life-threatening?"

Ma Sai let out a weak groan, sounding like he was only inhaling and not exhaling, and Feng Zhen's eyes instantly reddened.

“Oh, no, no.” Freddy took off his gloves. “It just stepped on weed seeds, which are the most troublesome thing in Provence.”

"What is it?" Ronan and his family of three asked in unison.

The word that Freddie uttered was completely unfamiliar to me.

Freddie patiently explained:
"In summer, there are many grass seeds on the ground. There is a kind of small wild grass seed with thorns. It is sharp and can penetrate the soft skin of a dog's paw. When the paw is pricked, the dog does not feel pain. It is like being pricked by a needle. The wound will take several hours to heal. But what is hateful is that the wild grass seed disappears after it gets into the dog's paw, leaving only a tiny puncture hole on the surface. The dog starts to limp, but the owner can't find the reason."

He couldn't help but chuckle as he looked at Ma Sai in Luo Tianhai's arms:

“If they’re unlucky, their claws and even their entire lower limbs will swell up. I can’t treat that kind of disease. You’ll need to take it to Mena Village to see a veterinarian and have it operated on.”

Feng Zhen let out a loud cry:
"Surgery? That serious?!"

Feng Zhen felt it was serious because Freddie was incurable; she felt the situation was very serious.

The truth is that Freddie didn't have any anesthetic, and he was afraid that 'Actor' Marseille's howling would be too loud and frighten the sheep in the slaughterhouse.

During the minimally invasive surgery in Marseille, Feng Zhen and Luo Tianhai took turns criticizing Luo Nan for his carelessness, believing that he had affected Marseille's optimal treatment time.

Just like last year, Ronan was unable to defend himself.

All I could do was lower my head and sigh silently.

The most absurd thing is that Luo Tianhai and Feng Zhen started fighting with Luo Nan for custody of Marseille.

“You know what Margaret is like. I’m definitely as meticulous as anyone else. This was just an accident,” Ronan tried to explain. “I can take good care of her.”

Ronan's reasoning was irrefutable, because he was indeed very attentive to Margaret; Feng Zhen then started to change the subject:

"But we can't live without it, especially your father, right, Tianhai?"

Luo Tianhai and his wife work together perfectly:

"Yes, Marseille is where I grew up, and I can't live without it."

Ronan almost laughed in anger, shaking his head and saying:
“I can’t live without it either. Xiao Hei will be living in both places from now on. Zoe and I will only have this one dog in the future. What will we do if you take it away?”

There are people fighting for Xiao Hei's custody.

Now that someone else is eyeing custody of Marseille, things are really tough for him.

"Then what will we do if we don't have a dog?" Feng Zhen asked matter-of-factly.

Freddie, who had been watching the show from the sidelines for a while, offered a solution:
“The largest dog show in Provence is going to be held in Mena in July. Why don’t you go there and have a look? If you’re lucky, you might find a fine breed like Margaret.”

(End of this chapter)