1986: My Happy Life in Provence

Chapter 149 Cunning Animals
someday.

Ronan was awakened from his sleep by the noisy chatting.

In the chaos, he picked up the clock on the bedside and saw that it showed 4:15.

It was so noisy outside, as if a large tour group had come to Luberon and used his house as a rest stop on the way, so Ronan's first reaction was that it should be 4:15 in the afternoon.

But when he woke up a little, he realized it was still dark outside.

Ronan was not the only one who was woken up at home.

Xiao Hei had already run from Ronan's bedroom on the second floor to the main entrance on the first floor and was growling in a warning tone, as if if the 'tour group' came any closer, it would rush out and 'bite' them.

Ronan got out of bed and planned to go check out the situation.

But at this moment, he suddenly found something wrong.

Ever since Marseille came to our house, as long as any family member shows signs of being awake in the morning, it will squat beside the bed and hum like a spoiled child.

Its purebred hound bloodline seems to allow it to clearly perceive changes in human breathing rate, knowing who is awake and who is still asleep.

And this 'hum' is Marseille's unique way of saying 'good morning'.

Everyone who wakes up must give it a brief 'full body massage' or 'head massage', otherwise this guy will chase you and 'hum' all morning, or even the whole morning, just to remind you that you missed something.

But today Ronan had already gotten out of bed, and the familiar 'humming' sound never appeared.

What is even more worrying is that Marseille has always been Xiao Hei's 'tail'. Wherever Xiao Hei goes, it goes. Even if it can't figure out the situation, when Xiao Hei calls, the guy will also bark a few times.

Ronan only heard Xiao Hei's low growl, but not Masai's "baby voice".
"Marseille, Marseille." Ronan called out softly a few times.

This guy has very good hearing. He will come running over when he hears someone calling him.

"Son, there are so many people outside our house!" Feng Zhen ran over barefoot and said in fear, "Are they the thieves you mentioned?"

"Thieves rest in the summer and come out to 'earn money' in the winter." Ronan looked around the house. "Mom, have you seen Marseille?"

The peak season for theft in Luberon is during the months when tourism is slow. The rich leave Provence, leaving their houses empty and giving thieves something to steal.

Compared to thieves, there is a more concerning issue now.

Marseille lost??
After Ronan's reminder, Feng Zhen also discovered this serious problem and shouted loudly in fear:

"Marseille! Marseille? Good baby——"

Soon, the situation in Ronan's house was even more lively than the tour group outside. All the lights were on, and the sound of "Marseilles" rose higher and higher, resounding through the sky.

The three of them searched for about three minutes and finally found a shivering steel-gray tail behind the curtains of Ronan's bedroom.

Marseille buried his head in the corner, refusing to move away.

Feng Zhen picked it up, and Marseille immediately buried his head under her armpit.

"Look how scared it is!" Feng Zhen said with concern.

Ronan silently tapped Marseille's butt twice:

"Are you a hound?"

Luo Tianhai said to his wife and son with a serious expression:

"Okay, you guys wait here, I'll go out and take a look."

"Be careful." Feng Zhen said fearfully.

Ronan snatched the large kitchen knife that Luo Tianhai had hidden behind him and weighed it twice in his hand:

"Why don't you use a handy weapon for defense? This one can be used to chop wood, how can you swing it?"

Luo Tianhai grumbled unhappily:

"How can a small one be a deterrent?!"

Ronan smiled and explained to his parents:
"It should be Cafu and the others who are here."

Feng Zhen kept shaking her head:

"That's impossible, son. There are at least 20 people outside. We only have a yard. How can we need so many people?"

Labor is expensive in Paris, and only three or four versatile craftsmen will be involved in any renovation.

Ronan opened the window on the second floor and shouted outside:
"Cafu?"

A familiar voice came from downstairs:

"Ladies and gentlemen, please continue to sleep!"

Ronan turned around and shrugged at his parents:

"But Cafu has the 'Provence' speed that Paris doesn't have." "God, they come to work at more than 4 o'clock in the morning?" The old couple poked their heads out and looked around curiously.

Luo Tianhai and Feng Zhen worked day and night in the kitchen to make breakfast for the 20-odd strong workers. Ronan came out to communicate with Cafu about the construction situation.

"After the 'reception' area was built, I asked Doku to come over and measure the dimensions." Ronan said, pointing to one side.

There were too many things to be customized this time, and Duoku had to come and measure them personally so that they could be made properly.

Cafu said calmly:

"Then call him tomorrow."

Ronan smiled and nodded.

It would be great if other industries in Provence could have Cafu's "speed".

But it's also because these people are 'hardworking'.

And diligence is exactly what Provence needs least. It is synonymous with slow life and carefree life.

Thinking of this, Ronan asked angrily and amusedly:
"Why are you starting work earlier and earlier?"

Last time I came around 5 o'clock, and this time I came an hour earlier.

Just because you are so 'diligent', do you not care about other people's lives?
Cafu said in a loud voice:

“The best spirits are in the morning!”

Ronan yawned:
"Maybe it's just you."

"You guys are in good spirits too—" Cafu pointed at Ronan's house and said jokingly, "I heard you guys singing the Marseillaise early in the morning."

When talking about this, Ronan became angry:

"My dog's name is Marseille. There were so many of you that it was scared and hid. We had to look for it for a long time."

Cafu seemed to have heard a funny joke:

"We didn't go in, what is it afraid of?"

Ronan shrugged.

"Who knows?"

"Breakfast will be ready soon. Let's have some coffee first." Feng Zhen and Luo Tianhai came out with coffee and cups.

Going out with them was a steel-gray figure.

Masai came running over, a sharp light flashing in his dog's eyes.

It barked desperately at Kafu and the others in a baby voice, as if declaring its sovereignty over the place.

A worker squatted down to tease it, and the Maasai barked even louder, with a fierce look in its eyes.

"Your dog is pretty fierce." Cafu pointed at the black dog lying nearby and asked, "So, is its name Masai?"

Ronan & Xiao Hei: "."

"You know, Theo saw me today and told me that Maasai's barking could be heard throughout his house. He also said that Maasai knew how to protect its master at such a young age, and would definitely be a 'good dog' when it grows up, so he asked me to take good care of it—" Ronan shook his head bitterly and said to Zoe beside him, "Is this the 'Maasai characteristic'? Can dogs be so 'cunning'? It has confused everyone else."

Ever since Ronan learned to take a 'nap', the frequency of evening activities has increased significantly, and today is another day for a 'night outing' with Zoe.

Zuo said, and everyone laughed:

"Masai is so cute. I think he and Huhu can become friends."

All the names Zoe gave to her pets were double-word names. "Huhu" was exactly the name of "Playboy".

"Is Huhu used to living in your house?" Ronan asked curiously.

"Very good." Zoe smiled happily. "I built a 'luxurious' sheepfold for it in the yard, but it doesn't mind the house. It comes in to patrol several times a day. It is also very 'protective'. If someone gets too close to me, it will use its head to push the person away."

"Do they treat you as their 'private property'?" Ronan asked with a complicated expression.

Zoe's face was filled with a joyful smile, and her eyes narrowed slightly:

"It's not that exaggerated."

Ronan turned around and returned to the village:

"I'll go to your house and see if it can hold up against me."

What's wrong with the animals nowadays? Are they all so scheming?
Zoe gently pulled Ronan:
"There's a movie on the square today, shall we go and watch it?"

(End of this chapter)