1986: My Happy Life in Provence

Chapter 555 Go, go and marry Zoe.
The village of Lourmaran is only that big.

It takes no more than 10 minutes to walk from Zoe's house to the castle.

In the past, when young people in the village got married, the bride and groom would walk to the wedding venue, followed by their parents and friends, and villagers who came to watch the excitement along the way.

The dowry originally planned included a 'box of hope' to be made by the bride's father, as well as some daily necessities, which Vieri and the artists took with them.

The villagers' enthusiasm has made things 'complicated'. Zoe should probably take a vehicle to church tomorrow morning to avoid the procession looking like she's going to 'deliver goods'.

“And it’s not just one vehicle.” Ronan walked around Zoe’s house and found that there were quite a lot of gifts to be taken to her new home.

He reaffirmed:

"Do these things have to come with you tomorrow morning?"

Zoe said helplessly:

"Yes, according to the customs of Luberon—"

Just as they began to speak, Bo Re pushed open the door and entered.

She was carrying a basket covered with an antique-patterned cloth, and before she could even greet Zoe, she shoved the basket into her hands.

"This is a gift for you and Ronan, a set of tableware. I know you can make it yourself, but tableware symbolizes 'prosperity and many guests.' Remember to take it with you tomorrow; it will bring harmony to your family."

In Provençal culture, where family meals are highly valued, sharing a meal is a core ritual for family harmony, and the tableware represents this very meaning.

Presenting an embroidered quilt or a thick wool blanket as a gift symbolizes that the newlyweds will "share the same bed and be united in body and soul." In rural tradition, this is the most subtle and solemn blessing for "becoming one."

Giving candles or candlesticks as gifts symbolizes that passion will never be extinguished.

Soap symbolizes that couples need to face the grime of life together and cleanse themselves of worries.

Gifting a ceramic jar or jam jar is a metaphor for sharing joys and sorrows with your spouse.

These gifts have transcended the realm of everyday items, becoming 'talismans' that will protect Ronan and Zoe's wedding and ensure their eternal happiness.

The 'amulet' must be with the newlyweds, otherwise it will not work.

After Boge left, Ronan and Zoe continued their discussion of the topic they had just covered.

“We need to find a few cars this afternoon,” Zoe said with a headache. “And we need to find a few good-tempered drivers; you need good tempers to drive around Lourmaran during the tourist season.”

The streets are narrow and crowded with pedestrians. Tourists don't care what the cars behind them are doing; they won't leave until they've taken all the photos and seen everything.

It would take someone to clear the way if you walked there, and driving might be slower than walking.

Ronan raised another concern:

"It would be best if these cars all had the same design, otherwise they wouldn't look good."

In the city, wedding car convoys are all uniform in both model and color.

The villagers all drive old cars, of various brands, years of manufacture, and models, making it difficult to standardize them. Moreover, after decades, even if there are identical cars, they are long gone.

Even if we borrow from several surrounding villages, it would be almost impossible to solve this problem, and finding several 30-year-old Citroën hatchbacks wouldn't be enough. This is a wedding, and there are requirements for the car model; it has to be impressive.

With her wedding just half a day away, the sudden appearance of a tricky problem is bound to make Zoe anxious.

But our dear Zoe follows the 'money talks' principle, so she picks up the phone and calls Cotillard, telling her to go to Apte or Marseille to rent a car, no matter the cost.

Ronan told her not to rush and gave her his advice:
"Actually, in Lourmaran, you can quickly find a vehicle with a uniform model that looks quite intimidating. I just don't know if anyone in your area does it this way."

"A donkey?" Zoe answered seriously. "People used to ride donkeys to their weddings, but can you ride one?"

Let's not even talk about whether the donkey matches their formal attire for tomorrow.
Zoe can ride a donkey, but Ronan can't.

After arriving in Provence, he never even fed the donkeys, let alone rode them.

Zoe didn't want to put on a "damsel in distress" show for her guests before the wedding.

Ronan clicked his tongue, amused by Zoe's thought process:
I was talking about a tractor!

Half of the villagers in Lourmar own tractors, and it's easy to find one that looks the same. There are only about five or six common models in Provence.

Tractors have a large carrying capacity; two tractors could easily haul away these 'amulet' items, and he didn't believe tourists would dare to block the way.

That thing was tall and big, and it looked incredibly imposing. Its ability to clear a path was superb.

"A tractor?" Zoe was also shocked by Ronan's thought process. "A tractor and a wedding?"

"Tractors are great! Tractors are awesome! Which cutie came up with this prop?"

They needed to take some memorable photos at their wedding, and Zoe and Ronan didn't hesitate to choose Hakimi.

Hakimi arrived in Lourmaran the day before to begin recording the wedding. During lunch, he heard Ronan and Zoe discussing tractors and immediately clapped his hands, looking very eager to participate.

Ronan, like a primary school student being praised by the teacher, raised his hand and said:

"It was my idea!"

"Your idea is fantastic!" Hakimi said with a hint of regret. "I wanted you to take a set of photos with a tractor on the day of our wedding photoshoot, but we didn't 'find' the props that day. Now, we can make up for it at the wedding!"

Zoe asked her old classmate with a somewhat awkward expression:
"Are you sure a tractor looks good at a wedding?"

Hakimi nodded vigorously:
"Of course, your wedding is full of rich Luberon rural elements. Tractors are an indispensable prop in rural life. How could it be out of place in a wedding? Not only is it not out of place, but it will also be the finishing touch."

Zoe's two collaborations—on wedding photography and a goat race—made her very confident in Hakimi's abilities; he is definitely a master of rural-themed photography.

The rural expert said the tractor was the finishing touch. So let's use a tractor.

"I'll take care of finding the tractor!" Ronan volunteered to take on the important task of preparing the vehicle.

For such an important prop as a 'wedding car,' it must be the newest and best one.

Ronan bought a brand new one for St. St. last month, and Pierre got two more in good condition from two other farmers. Ronan still wanted a brand new machine, but Lourmarin didn't have a suitable one. His older brother Lucasto's friend found one in Gordes and Bonnio.

In the afternoon, Lucas drove Theo and a few other guys to pick up the tractor for Ronan.

Ronan, who remained in Lourmaran, was also busy.

The two 'wedding paths' have been laid out, and the groom's tasks for the day are all finished. He, along with Cornell and Henry, are washing the tractor in front of their house, making sure it's so shiny it's dazzling in the sunlight.

Around 3 p.m., the first tractor from another village arrived in Lourmaran. The tractor driver was Theo, but the shouts coming from the tractor were not Theo's voice.

Ronan stepped onto the tractor and looked into the distance. Once he could identify the person making the sound, he threw away the brush and rag in his hand and ran over excitedly.

"Thor! You've come!!"

How could Thor possibly miss Ronan's wedding?

However, because he had used up all his vacation time around Easter and Labor Day, he could only arrive a day early this time.

But he would often call to inquire about Ronan's wedding and expressed his regret at not being able to participate in the castle's decorations.

Thor stood on the tractor with a silly grin, his hands flying around rapidly:
"I'm here! I'm here again!"

Theo, with a cigarette between his fingers and steering the tractor with the other, smiled and said:
“I ran into your classmate at the village entrance. I was afraid he would be too busy playing to come find you, so I brought him back. Lourmaran is much more interesting today than it was during Easter.”

Lourmaran has been filled with joy these past few days, and even tourists know that something happy is about to happen here.

Theo parked the tractor, and Thor immediately jumped down, gesturing excitedly to Ronan:

"There are lots of ribbons and decorations in the village. Theo said these are all for your wedding. It's so interesting. Weddings in Paris aren't like this."

Ronan took Thor's suitcase and eagerly led him into the house:
“There are many wedding customs in Provence. Let me tell you about them slowly. Come in with me first and try on your best man outfits. If they don’t fit, I’ll call Hakimi over to alter them.”

Thor's interest was piqued by the tractors, and he walked straight over to them:

"Are you washing a tractor? I'll help you." Good heavens, there's no opportunity to wash a tractor in Paris.

Ronan, both amused and exasperated, advised him:
"Try on the clothes first before you go 'play'."

Thor picked up the props Ronan had used before and started working, imitating Henry:
"You'll definitely be able to fit into it, don't worry, I've been on a diet recently."

"You're on a diet? I don't believe it!" Ronan knew Thor's mouth all too well; he loved eating high-fat, high-sugar, and high-calorie foods.

Their eating habits and personality are exactly the same as a child's.

Have you ever seen a child who can control their mouth?

Thor turned around and gave Ronan a simple, honest smile:
"My best friend invited me to be his best man, and I've been dieting for two months."

Ronan wanted to say something, but the sputtering sound of a tractor came again from the end of the asphalt road—another 'wedding car' was coming.

Before he could even get a clear look at the tractor, he heard an excited shout:
"Is this Zoe's future home?"

Besides Duma, sitting on the tractor was also the ironwork artist Hedeli, who had come all the way from Valensole.

"Hedley? You're here today?" Ronan greeted her unexpectedly.

Hadley jumped off the tractor and said with a smile:
“Yes, Zoe and I, along with the other classmates, are all arriving today. If we arrive tomorrow, it will be too late.”

"Ronan! I'm here!" Before Ronan could even finish greeting Hadley, a purple sports car roared up.

Sitting in the driver's seat was Gabriel, the candy tycoon, dressed in an expensive suit.

Ronan lowered his head, even more surprised, and asked with wide eyes;

"You're here today too?"

Gabriel got out of the car and gave Ronan a big hug:

"Of course, my friend, I can't wait to witness our groom walk down the aisle!"

Thor, Hedeli, Gabriel, Zoe's classmates, artist friends from out of town, and Provençal celebrities met during the F1 Grand Prix.
These people, some familiar, some only met once, some colleagues, and some completely unrelated, arrived in Lourmaran one after another the day before and appeared in Ronan's life.

Ronan finally realized that the most important day of his life was about to arrive.

The night before the wedding, Pierre and several other farmers, along with Thor, accompanied Ronan.

According to Provençal custom, the groom's best male friend will put a coin called 'turning luck' on his finger first thing tomorrow morning.

This coin should be placed in the pocket of the groom's tuxedo shirt. Its meaning is that even if the groom loses everything in the future, he still has a chance to make a comeback. It is a talisman for the man's future economic stability and good fortune.

Other wedding customs in Provence have changed or disappeared, but this custom has been preserved to this day and is strictly observed.

But all of these friends believed that they were Ronan's best friend and had the right to give him a 'turning point'. Fearing that the other party would seize the opportunity first, they all stayed overnight at Ronan's house, waiting for the important moment to arrive the next day.

Tomorrow is the most important day of Ronan's life. He can't drink too much the night before, so a group of grown men gather together to chat and have heart-to-heart talks.

Seeing that Ronan remained silent and did not join their discussion, Pierre smiled and asked:
"What are you thinking?"

Cornell, grinning mischievously, answered first:

"Ronan must be thinking, 'Hurry up until tomorrow, hurry up and get the wedding done, hurry up and bring Zoe home!'"

Theo said in a tone of someone who had been there:
“You’re mistaken. Ronan must be agonizing over freedom. In some places, they hold a ‘bachelor party’ for the groom the night before the wedding, so that he can breathe one last breath of freedom, because he won’t be able to after that. It’s just that this custom isn’t popular in Luberon.”

Ronan dipped his finger in the wine and scribbled randomly on the table:

"It's a strange feeling right now. I wish time would pass quickly so I could marry Zoe, but I also wish time would slow down, so I could have time to truly savor this moment."

"What's going on at this moment?" Thor asked in a muffled voice.
Ronan smiled and looked back at him:
"It's the indescribable feeling that makes it so magical. Nervous? Excited? Confused? Anxious? Anticipating? It seems to be all of those, but not all of them. This is the first time in my life I've felt this way."

Pierre smiled and patted Ronan's arm to put him at ease:
"But this is probably not the only time you'll feel this way in your life. I suspect that this strange feeling might come back when you become a father."

Ronan shrugged, saying noncommittally:
"Maybe? Who knows? Maybe after tomorrow, I'll be able to visualize this feeling."

Suddenly, he excitedly suggested:
"How about we play some cards? I can't drink, and I can't sleep anyway. It's no fun just sitting here."

Ronan never participated in the village's 'gambling,' but tonight he just wanted to do something to distract himself.

But this time, everyone rejected his proposal.

Theo and Cornell each grabbed one of Ronan's arms and carried him upstairs:

"Except for today, I'll be there for you every day. You need to rest now. Tomorrow will be as tiring as fighting a battle. Believe me, you might regret not going to rest at 7 p.m.

Thor ran to the kitchen:

"I'll go heat up a glass of milk for you."

After drinking the warm milk, Ronan refused Theo's terrifying suggestion to tell him a 'bedtime story' and lay down on the bed with wide eyes.

He's a slave to his pillow, but tonight he just can't fall asleep.

He tossed and turned for more than half an hour, watching the time slip away unnoticed, and he had to do something.

Hearing the farmers downstairs still boasting by the door, Thor laughed heartily. No one paid any attention to him, the groom, so he tiptoed to his parents' room, where there was a landline.

Ronan couldn't quite articulate the complex emotions he was experiencing.

But he was certain that one of the reasons for his insomnia was that he missed Zoe, terribly.

I miss her, I miss her voice, I want to hold her in my arms.

I picked up the receiver, dialed that familiar number, and it was answered after just one ring.

"How are things on your end?" Zoe asked, as if she were a magician, predicting who would call.

“The people downstairs are doing well, but I’m not so well,” Ronan said, fiddling with the phone cord. “I have insomnia.”

The phone rang with the unrestrained laughter of several girls; Zoe's last night as a single woman was spent with her best friends.

Ronan asked the other side in a consultative tone:
"Ladies, could you please give me back my fiancée for a few minutes?"

"No!" At least five or six female voices rang out simultaneously, all saying in unison, "Zoe will be yours tomorrow, but right now she belongs to us!"

"Alright, stop fooling around." Ronan clearly caught Zoe's voice amidst the chorus of female voices, and he could almost picture her expression as she spoke. "I'm Ronan's now too."

"Ugh, Zoe, you're disgusting!" someone screamed, and the other end of the phone became incredibly noisy—there was laughter, shouting, and howling.

Then Ronan heard Zoe's straightforward, earnest, and incredibly reassuring voice:
"Go to sleep. When you wake up tomorrow, I will take you back. From then on, I will never be separated from you, day or night."

"Go to sleep, and when you wake up, bring Zoe back. We'll never be apart again, day or night." Ronan didn't know what time he finally fell asleep, but these were the words he kept thinking about before he went to sleep.

Early the next morning.

The farmers' dreams, which had been dashed all night, were dashed – none of them had the right to give Ronan the 'turning point'.

Lucas arrived at Ronan's house early in the morning and directed the farmers to make final preparations. After Ronan was dressed in his formal attire, Lucas put a gold coin with a face value of 10 francs into Ronan's pocket.

In 1960, France entered the era of the new franc.

The coins are primarily made of nickel alloys, nickel, and aluminum.

This gold coin is a variant of the Napoleon Louis gold coin issued in 1900. In 1987, one coin was worth several thousand new francs and is a true collector's item.

Lucas wrapped Ronan up like a 'lucky charm,' which made Theo grin from ear to ear.

After seeing Ronan off at the "transition point," Lucas pinched Ronan's neck a few times and pushed him out the door.
"Go, marry Zoe!"

(End of this chapter)