1986: My Happy Life in Provence

Chapter 559 The Voice from Lourmaran

After a blissful yet exhausting first night of their marriage, having seen off all their friends, Ronan and Zoe only slept for a little over three hours before getting up.

In Luberon, breakfast the day after the wedding is eaten with the parents; no sleeping in is allowed today.

Women's morning routine is more complicated than men's.

After Zoe finished washing up, tidying herself up, and changing her clothes, she woke Ronan up.

"Wake up, we'll come back for a nap after breakfast." She bent down and kissed Ronan's cheek.

The groom had worked hard all night, and she couldn't bear to wake Ronan.

But both sets of parents must have arrived at the restaurant by now.

Ronan felt the familiar scent on his face, but without opening his eyes, he rolled over and pulled Zoe back onto the bed.

"It felt so good to be woken up by a kiss."

Zoe patted Ronan on the back and urged him on:

"Get up, it's past nine o'clock now. We agreed to have breakfast at eight-thirty yesterday."

Ronan, still half asleep, buried his face in Zoe's neck:

"It's okay, just arrive before lunch. They'll understand."

Zoe hugged Ronan's waist, her tone languid, as if she might fall asleep at any moment:

“I was planning to pick up the marriage certificate after breakfast. You know, the Lourmaran government only handles this service one day a week. Since you want to sleep in a little longer, you can go get it next week.”

Obtaining a marriage certificate in the province of Vaucluse is not an easy task.

The first step is to prepare the necessary documents and submit them to the local government where you reside. The second step is to have the marriage registration period publicized. The third step is to hold a formal wedding ceremony. Only after all of the above are completed will the government stamp the marriage register, and the married couple will receive proof of their new social relationship.

Lourmaran has such a small population that even fewer people get married each year, so marriage-related services are only available for one morning a week.

Ronan and Zoe were lucky; they were able to pick up their marriage certificate the day after their wedding.

Ronan opened his eyes instantly, and sat up while holding Zoe:

"I'm quick, I can leave in 2 minutes."

The custom in Luberon only stipulates that the couple should have breakfast with their parents the day after the wedding, but it is not mandatory whether it is the groom's parents or the bride's parents.

Since the two families are so close, it was natural for both to attend, and the venue was chosen to be a restaurant.

Breakfast was prepared by Leah herself, featuring the 'flavors' of Luberon. In addition to a wider variety of breads, cheeses, sausages, and olives, there was also an unusual dish on the table.

As soon as Ronan and Zoe sat down, Leah placed a bowl of soup on the table in front of them.

"What is this?" Ronan asked curiously.

Leah's cooking style is characterized by the use of plenty of Provençal spices, whether for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

Ronan didn't smell many spices in the soup, only a faint black pepper flavor.

This cooking style doesn't resemble Provençal cuisine; it's more like Chinese food. But Ronan had never seen Luo Tianhai make this before.

“Cabbage soup, it only has cabbage, carrots, tomatoes, black pepper and salt in it.” Leah kissed each of the children on the head. “It’s to help you recover from the previous day’s revelry, and it also symbolizes the simplicity and continuation of family life. Drink it while it’s hot.”

Louis eagerly picked up his spoon and said enthusiastically:

“Mary made this dish for us the day after my wedding to Leah, and I drank two big bowls of it. Trust me, it will save your stomachs.”

Mary is Leah's mother and also Leah's 'teacher' in cooking.

The French consider 'mother/father' to be terms reserved for biological offspring and prohibit the use of these terms for people who are not related by blood.

After marriage, if the daughter-in-law or son-in-law has a so-so relationship with the other party's parents, they will address them by their surname plus Mr./Ms.

If the relationship between the two parties is harmonious, or if the children's marriage has lasted for a long time, they will be more accustomed to addressing each other's parents by their first names.

Leah also kissed Louis on the head, then said to Ronan and Zoe:
"The main reason is that it has a good meaning. The simple dishes symbolize a simple and stable life."

Ronan smiled and picked up the spoon:

"Provence is truly a place that values ​​symbolism."

Ronan and Zoe were a little late, well past the normal breakfast time. They ate in silence for a while before anyone spoke.

Luo Tianhai soaked the bread in the cabbage soup; he was clearly a seasoned gourmet.
"After you finish eating, go back and get a good night's sleep. You've been working too hard lately. Ronan, spend more time with Zoe at home these next few days. Don't worry about the restaurant; your mother and I can handle it."

Following her husband's example, Feng Zhen also soaked the bread in the soup, while instructing her son:
“I heard from Barty yesterday that the knitting business has stabilized and they don’t need your help for the time being. How about you and Zoe go on a trip? Go on your honeymoon?”

Ronan used to rush to meet orders every day because he was worried that the women wouldn't be able to finish the sudden surge in orders. But after nearly a month, he realized that the production capacity of the Lourmaran Handicraft Cooperative was not a concern, and having one more or one less Ronan would not have much of an impact.

Ronan and Zoe exchanged a glance.

Zoe spoke first:
“I will be quite busy before October. There are many art events in various places during the travel season, and I have a lot to do. Ronan and I have discussed it and plan to go on our honeymoon after the travel season ends.”

Ronan added:

"The truffle picking season starts in mid-November, which lasts for more than a month, so you can have a very pleasant holiday."

Louis asked with some pity:

"Then you should at least rest for a few days, right? Are you going to start working right away?"

Ronan shrugged:

"Take a day off. Tomorrow I'm going to Striesga to implement the 'quota' system."

Zoe sighed helplessly:

"I can only rest for one day. Tomorrow I need to continue to improve the works to be submitted for exhibition."

Feng Zhen grinned and shook her head:
"These two kids are both incredibly busy."

Ronan smiled and comforted his mother:

“We’ll spend as much time as possible together, and work will never interfere with our lives, I swear.” Zoe said, looking at Ronan’s profile.

"Although we are very busy, Ronan and I have a lot of free time, which is a blessing in disguise. We have discussed this issue many times before. After getting married, we need to look at many things from the perspective of the 'whole'."

Breakfast on the second day of the marriage is a local custom that must be followed.

But as soon as they finished eating, the four elderly people urged them to go back and rest, and not to waste any more time there.

Leah's breakfast was both plentiful and delicious. After eating so much, I'll go to the government office to take care of some business, digest a bit, and then go home to catch up on my sleep.

Ronan and Zoe left the shopping street hand in hand, heading towards the Lourmaran government office building.

Along the way, Ronan saw that almost every telephone pole was covered with colorful posters, and many local villagers and tourists were gathered in front of them looking at what was on the posters.

“Let’s go take a look too.” Ronan pulled Zoe along.

Upon arriving at the telephone pole, I discovered it was a notice about an event for the 'Feast of the Assumption of Mary'.

The poster says that Lourmaran will hold a celebration for the Feast of the Assumption of Mary in mid-August, and interested villagers and tourists can go to the event center to learn more about the details and purchase tickets.

The admission fee is 70 francs per person, and three meals a day are provided.

The most interesting thing is that it reminds everyone to bring their own cutlery on the day of the event.

"Wow, this is the event that Sylvie and her team planned!" Ronan said excitedly to Zoe. "This event looks like it's related to food, it must be it."

At the beginning of the month, Ronan introduced Mr. Llorente to Sylvie, and then he went to prepare for the wedding and did not pay any more attention to the progress of the matter.

Upon seeing the poster that said "Bring your own cutlery," Ronan immediately connected it to that event.

Zoe pouted and said:

"The Feast of the Assumption of Mary is a very big festival in Provence, and many villages hold community celebrations on that day. It is not easy for Lourmarin to stand out."

Why not go to Mena, Gold, or Bonnillo on the same theme?
Ronan still remembered Sylvie's helpless, utterly devastated expression, and eagerly dragged Zoe to the government building:
“Blanco is such a cautious person, he must have thought of a plan before making this decision. This is Lourmaran’s first large-scale event.”

As he spoke, he quickened his pace:
"And Mr. Llorente is also helping them. We'll go ask him after we get our marriage certificate."

Upon arriving at the Lourmaran government, Condina was again the one handling the follow-up procedures for Zoe and Ronan.

"Blanco said you would definitely come today, and that the seal was already affixed yesterday. He's also been urging me to get the marriage certificate made as soon as possible." Condina solemnly handed a sealed, light pink certificate to Ronan.

In 1987, the format of marriage certificates varied across different regions of France.

The certificate provided by the Vaucluse department has a strong Provençal feel. In addition to basic information such as the national emblem, the names of the newlyweds, their dates of birth, the notary office, and the certificate number, it also has a beautiful lavender pattern around the edge.

I heard that you can see the subtle patterns on wheat ears and scales when you shine a UV light on them, so Ronan plans to go home and find a UV light to try it out and see if there are any other interesting things.

As Ronan held the marriage certificate up to him, Condina handed Zoe a small booklet:

"This is a family book, used to record important family events."

She smiled and said to Ronan and Zoe:

"When your child is born, remember to bring it with you so I can register it for you."

Ronan and Zoe exchanged a glance and said frankly:

"Thank you, we'll try to register more often."

Blanco is in a meeting today and is not in Lourmaran.

After obtaining the certificate he had been longing for, Ronan did not rush to leave. Instead, he took Zoe to visit Sylvie.

A year ago, Sylvie was doing the work of an entire department all by herself. Now she has a small team of three people under her, and the Lourmaran Market Management Center she manages finally looks like a proper department.

Sylvie was assigning tasks to her subordinates in her office when Ronan and Zoe appeared at the door. She asked humorously:

"Why aren't you enjoying your newlywed life at home? What are you doing here? Isn't Contina in her office by the door?"

Sylvie knew that Ronan and Zoe would be anxious to come and get their marriage certificate today, but she didn't expect them to be here.

Ronan waved the pink certificate in his hand:

"I can't do anything without getting this."

God knows how much effort I put in to get it!
Sylvie asked curiously:
"Then what are you doing here?"

Ronan pointed in a direction with his chin:
"I saw the notice you posted in the village about the 'Festival of the Assumption of Mary.' How are the preparations going? Is the communication with Llorente going smoothly?"

This was the first major event held in Lourmaran, so Ronan was naturally very interested.

Sylvie was taken aback at first, then burst out laughing:

“That wasn’t an event we were collaborating on with Llorente. Why would we choose a religious event for our first major event?”

Now it was Ronan's turn to be stunned:
"Oh? Is that so? Then what's the theme of the event you're planning?"

After all this time, surely they haven't found a plan that satisfies Blanco yet?
Sylvie pointed to several busy employees in the office, then picked up a thick stack of documents from the table:
"Lourmaran's first major event is a marathon, and we are currently inviting runners."

She then held up an envelope in front of Ronan:
“I was planning to give it to you in a few days, but since you asked, just take it. You have to participate; the whole village knows you’re a marathon expert from Lourmaran.”

Ronan stared in astonishment at the invitation in front of him, on which was written a huge name—Ronan.

what?
marathon?
It's not even as good as the Feast of the Assumption of Mary!
Sylvie ignored Ronan's obvious resistance and excitedly said:
"This idea was proposed by Llorente. He said that the upgrade of the Monaco Grand Prix F1 race this year has made sports a hot topic, and both spectators and commercial clients have endless enthusiasm for it. We did a detailed survey and found that we are currently in a period of rapid development of marathons, but there is no top-level event in the South of France centered around marathons. If done well, it will be held annually. This is an opportunity for Lourmarin."

Ronan chuckled awkwardly a few times and pushed the invitation back:

"It is indeed a good topic, but I will not participate."

How many kilometers is a marathon again?
Do you want me dead?!

Sylvie sent out the invitation again:
“No, you must participate. The marathon can boost local tourism, and we will also set up many aid stations along the route. This is a great opportunity for Stella, your restaurant, and your dessert and bakery to gain exposure. Most importantly—no one in Lourmaran can run as fast as you. You can even outrun sheep and dogs, how could you not outrun a person? We need a strong local Lourmaran athlete to participate in the race!”

Without giving Ronan any chance to refute, Sylvie's excited voice echoed throughout the office:

"By the time we've accumulated enough experience—the marathon in early August, the Feast of the Assumption of Mary in mid-August, and the Vows Festival in September—we plan to hold a top-level culinary event in early October. From then on, every month, the people of Provence will hear the sounds of Lourmarin!"

(End of this chapter)