1986: My Happy Life in Provence

Chapter 122 A Money-burning Hobby

Ronan didn't know how Zoe explained it to everyone.

Because when he put down his luggage that day, Zoe drove him away on the pretext that he had been driving for a long time and should go back and rest early.

But since that day, Freddy and Carl started looking at him strangely.

Only the honest Alan is still normal, with no changes.

I have read Ronan's "Hunting License Examination: Official Handbook of Theoretical Questions 1986" three times. I have almost memorized the theoretical knowledge, and the only thing left is practice.

As the day of the Marseille exam was getting closer, Ronan decided to find a gun to get a feel for it.

Although the practical test only checks whether the process complies with safety regulations, I still feel unsure if I have never touched a gun.

Many of Ronan's friends have shotguns, for example, Theo's family has 4 or 5.

May is the hunting season.

Ronan was worried that if he went to Theo's house to see the guns, Theo would be bold enough to take him on an "illegal hunt", which Theo would definitely do.

Freddy and Carl also have guns, but Ronan doesn't want to be questioned by them with "weird" looks, so he chooses to go to Alan's house to try out the shotgun.

In Luberon, opening a shop is the most free profession, no doubt about it.

Farmers cannot neglect their land, but shop owners can take a break by making up any excuse.

Ronan was just going to Alan's house in the afternoon to check out the guns, as this guy's bakery closed at 12 noon.

"Nothing is more important than showing you my precious shotgun!" Alan started calling Ronan in the morning to urge him to come over.

"I'm afraid I'm going to disappoint you." Ronan smiled and sat on the sofa in Alan's house. "I know nothing about guns. Even if your treasure is a 'rare treasure', I don't know how to appreciate it and can't give it much emotional value."

There is no hunting near Paris.

Hunting is not a topic of discussion among Parisians.

Southern France and the pastoral areas near the Alps are hunters' paradise.

"Oh, don't worry!" Alan put a black box on the table in front of Ronan and said happily, "Even if you don't understand anything, you can see how precious it is!"

Alan opened the box and carefully took out a shotgun that Ronan couldn't name.

"What brand is this?" Ronan leaned over to take a look.

Alan said proudly:

“No brand, just signature.”

"No brand?" Ronan knew very little about guns.

It was the first time he heard of a gun with no brand but only a signature.

Alan motioned for Ronan to come closer.

He pointed to a severely worn golden pattern on the gun and said:

"Here, see? Here is the name of the first owner of this gun."

Ronan looked at it for a long time, but couldn't spell out the so-called name:

"What's its owner's name?"

Alan shrugged and said:
"I don't know the exact name, it's too long ago, but what I can confirm is that he was a duke, and the gun was made in the 18th century."

"A gun from the 18th century?" Ronan was stunned.

He had already sat back on the sofa, but then he picked up the gun and looked at it carefully.

He observed carefully and found that the gun was covered with exquisite patterns, and its shape was like a work of art. The golden pattern engraved with the "name" was also inlaid with gold.

Alan was very satisfied with Ronan's reaction and introduced the origin of the gun:

"This is something left by my grandfather's grandfather. It's definitely a good thing."

Ronan raised his eyebrows imperceptibly.

It turned out to be a family heirloom.

Provence is indeed a paradise for hunters, and the heirlooms passed down are all guns.

Seeing that Ronan had not discovered any other "special" features of the gun after looking at it for a long time, Alan picked it up again and continued to show it: "It also has a folding bayonet, and there is a British crown on the gun. Do you know what a French-made double-barreled flintlock with a British crown on the gun means?"

"What does it mean?" Ronan asked humbly.

Alan leaned back on the sofa comfortably:

"It means it was sent to England for modification, such as shortening the barrel and installing a bayonet. France was not peaceful in the 18th century. After the modification, its defensive properties were improved by several levels. These are treatments only available to the nobility."

Ronan originally thought that he would not be interested in guns, but Alan's 18th-century noble gun seemed to open the door to a new world for him.

He asked excitedly:
“Are there many antique guns on the market?”

He also wanted to get a hunting rifle like this that could tell him how to use it.

Alan said proudly:

"There are definitely not many 'antiques' like mine, and even if there are, no one would be willing to sell them. However, there are some guns from the late 19th century on the market. Guns produced before 1900 are classified as Class D firearms. Anyone who is an adult can buy them without reporting them to the police station."

"Is it also sold in gun stores?" Ronan continued to ask.

"Oh, no, no, no." Alan stroked his beard and said, "I'm afraid the gun shop doesn't have it. You need to find a private seller."

Ronan nodded.

He has quite a few friends in Provence, so you can ask them to keep an eye out for him.

"Are antique guns expensive?" Ronan asked another key question.

Theo once gave Ronan an overview of the price range of guns for sale in France.

Depending on the caliber and type, most of them are concentrated in the range of 1500 francs to 15000 francs.

Alan was very satisfied with the question Ronan asked. The smile on his face gradually grew bigger. He pointed at his gun and said:
"Do you know how much anyone would pay for it?"

The 'antique' gun must be more expensive than the common guns on the market, so Ronan gave a very high price:

"Twenty thousand francs?"

If he saw Alan's gun on the market, he would be willing to buy it for 2 yuan.

This thing can be considered a collectible and will continue to appreciate in value in the future.

Alan smiled proudly:
"8000 dollars! In cash! But I won't sell it. Double the price will be fine!"

In 1986, the exchange rate between the US dollar and the new franc was around 1 to 5.

8000 US dollars is 4 francs.

And 4 francs is not enough to buy this gun.
Ronan rubbed his chin in distress.

This is really a 'money-burning' hobby!
Ever since he saw the antique hunting rifle in Alan's house, Ronan couldn't forget it and always wanted to get one.

He thought that finding the 'source of goods' was not a difficult task. There were so many powerful people in the 'Vaucluse Pink Wine Association', and Astrid, a descendant of the nobility, might have it.

The difficulty is that there is not enough money
He had just spent a lavish amount of money renovating the three bathrooms in his home.

Except for his own bedroom, the tiles in the other two bathrooms were all made of the highest-grade materials available in Provence. He also ordered a lot of wood to make furniture, and only had more than 2 francs left.

The income from the two markets has been steadily increasing, but Ronan also has to pay Leah and Vieri a weekly salary, so the actual net income is between 4000 and 5000 francs.

Although he could quickly scrape together enough money to buy a gun, he was reluctant to spend so many months' income on it because, in the final analysis, he didn't earn enough.

The truffle picking season doesn’t start for another four or five months.

Ronan decided it was time to think about ways to make himself richer during the non-truffle picking season.

It's not just about buying antique guns, there are so many areas in the house that need to be renovated and upgraded, and he has a mortgage of nearly $7, all of which are where the money is needed.

My parents are coming to Lourmarin soon.

Even if something big happens, there will be no shortage of manpower.

"Then let's give it a try?" Ronan tapped the table lightly with his index finger a few times, then stood up and picked up the phone.

　The rest are at 7 o'clock

　　
　
(End of this chapter)