1986: My Happy Life in Provence

Chapter 162 The Buried Artist

Ronan, Zoe and Vieri rested and talked at the Roman column.

Seeing Theo and the others rushing in, Ronan hurried over.

"That's not finished yet!" he shouted at the gang.

But fortunately, none of the farmers entered the rest area, they just watched carefully from outside.

Fabian stamped his feet in bewilderment, as if he was worried that the mud on his shoes would dirty the place:
“It turns out that the unpolished raw stone was used to make a small table.”

Cornell rubbed his hands on the clothes a few times, but still felt that they were not clean enough. He looked at the blanket on the sofa and said in surprise:

"You are amazing, Ronan. The original stone looks completely different after you put things on it. When I saw them this morning, I thought you were going to put up a bed in the reception area, but it turned out to be an L-shaped 'sofa'."

Theo muttered excitedly and enviously:

"There's definitely room for more than a dozen people to sit here. We don't have to crowd under the Roman columns."

Ronan stood in front of the stone bar and reminded them:
"Don't touch here. We just applied glue here. It needs to dry for a day before we can use it."

He asked Henry to stop these people from coming in because he was worried that they would get too excited and touch the unfinished bar.

Ronan turned around and saw those people standing outside the shed awkwardly. Even in the scorching sun at noon, they were too embarrassed to come in and sit down. He smiled and said:
"Come in."

He went to La Theo, who stubbornly avoided him:

"I'll come back tonight"

He was covered in sweat and his clothes were dirty, which would dirty the reception area arranged by Ronan. He would go home and take a shower in the evening before coming back.

Ronan pushed Theo in forcefully:

"Didn't Lucas teach you that? Don't dilly-dally like a sissy."

Then Ronan pushed Cornell again, and Cornell dodged and ran:

"Ronan, this place is so clean. It really looks like the place I saw in my dreams. No, no, no, I can't even dream of such a beautiful place. Sitting on the ground is more suitable for me."

Ronan hugged Cornell's waist from behind, picked him up like a carrot, and threw him in:

"The advantage of stone is that it is cheap and easy to clean. Everything in it is waterproof and can be restored to its original state by just washing it with water. Don't think too much, okay guys? Do you still want to drink at my house until dawn tonight?"

When Ronan designed the backyard, he took factors such as easy cleaning and waterproofing into consideration.

He is also a farmer, it is impossible for him to be clean every day!
Cornell finally rolled on the big sofa he had been dreaming of:
"Ronan, your house is really great. I will come to your house even if my mother scolds me a few more times."

Fabian looked left and right:
"God, I never dreamed that such a beautiful place would appear in Lourmarin. The terrace of the hotel I stayed in Aix was not as beautiful as this one."

Theo patted Ronan on the shoulder and said:
"I'll restore this place to its original state before I leave today."

"No need for you, lazy guy!" Henry had already connected the water pipe and said excitedly, "Mr. Ronan, I will help you clean the backyard every day, for free!"

"Go away Henry, don't give yourself the opportunity to come to Ronan's backyard. Everyone knows what your purpose is."

"Damn it Theo, I'm going to use the water gun to 'wash' you clean right now and prevent you from dirtying Mr. Ronan's backyard!!"

A dozen meters away, Zoe crossed her arms and watched Ronan playing and fighting with his friends with a smile.

Ronan's charm not only attracts the opposite sex, but also makes the same sex look at him with new eyes. She has never seen a villager as popular as Ronan in Lourmarin.

He has only lived here for half a year.
"You have to work hard too, Zoe. In a few months, you may not be worthy of him anymore." Zoe encouraged herself.

"Zoe!" Feng Zhen trotted to the yard. "Liya called and asked you to come home as soon as possible."

Zoe walked up to Feng Zhen and asked:
"Are you asking me to go home for dinner?"

Feng Zhen shook her head:

"No, someone from Aix called you."

Ronan left his friends behind and ran over, excitedly asking Zoe:
"Any news about the glassware exhibition?"

The Aix Glassware Exhibition that Zoe had signed up for was to be held in July, but as July approached and she still hadn't received any news, she had already assumed that she had failed.

Unexpectedly, she received a call from the organizer just before the exhibition.

Mother Leah nervously sat beside the phone, hoping to tell from her daughter's facial expression or body movements whether the call was about good news.

But Zoe only uttered "hmm" occasionally or said "ok" once or twice throughout the whole process. There was no change in her expression and nothing could be seen.

Leia paced back and forth anxiously, and Ronan whispered to her:

"Don't be nervous, we've been fighting for a long time, it should be over soon."

Leia acted as if she was about to be judged by fate.

Leah lowered her voice and said:
"Zoe needs a chance, a chance to show herself! She shouldn't have to deal with those cups and plates all her life."

Ronan said, "Hmm?"
"Doesn't Zoe make cups and plates?"

Leah shook her head:

"Zoe is a sensible child. She makes cups and plates to make a living. She said that if she insists on making art now, she will only starve to death."

"So she does other things?" Ronan asked in surprise.

Zoe never told him any of these things.

Leah said distressedly:

"Of course, she has to make money and pursue her own dreams, so she works so many hours a day."

Ronan looked at Zoe and sighed deeply.

Doku is also an 'artist', but now he can only make a living by making furniture in a quarry covered with white lime dust.

How many Picassos and Michelangelos can there be in this world?

Most people are suppressed by reality in their pursuit of art. "What else has she done?" Ronan asked Leah.

Leah brought Ronan to the door of the warehouse at home:
"Zoe's work has her own style. Once you see it, you will know. I really think she should not be buried."

Leah opened a large cabinet in the warehouse and took out an iron box like a treasure:

"This is what Zoe did when she was in college."

There was a blue glass item in the box. Ronan took a quick look at it and then picked it up to examine it carefully.

“Is this a deer?”

Leah nodded proudly:
"Yes, that winter she went up the mountain with Louis and Vieri to dig truffles. They didn't find any truffles, but they saw a deer. When they came back, Zoe made it."

She continued to pull out other boxes and show them to Ronan.

Ronan immediately understood what Leah meant when she said 'Zoe's work has her own style'.

"All she made are animals" Ronan examined them carefully.

"Yes, Zoe has loved animals since she was a child. She said that making things you love can give them a 'soul'," Leah recalled.

"Isn't this made of pure glass?" Ronan held the deer up to the light and examined it carefully.

"It's made of a combination of glass and ceramic." A pleasant female voice appeared behind the two people.

Ronan turned his head and said in an admiring tone:

"How was it? What did the other party say? If they rejected you, they would regret it for the rest of their lives. They missed out on an excellent artist."

Oh my God, glass can be combined with ceramics?
How are they connected?
No wonder Zoe can make cups and plates in both glass and ceramic!

Zoe exhaled a breath of air and said with relief:

"Although they think my work is still a little immature and they are only going to show cups and plates, thank God, I have finally stepped out of Lourmarin and will participate in my first Provence-wide art exhibition."

"God, Zoe, I'm so proud of you! I knew this day would come!!" Leah hugged Zoe excitedly, tears welling up in her eyes.

Ronan grinned, smiling even happier than their mother.

Leia waved her hand, brought Ronan in, and said to them happily:
"You are all good boys!"

Zoe opened her arms and hugged Ronan:
"You have to escort us."

[Other people's happiness increases your happiness by 30 points]

Ronan nodded heavily and said happily:

“As promised, both the artist and the work will arrive safely in Aix.”

"Which day are you going to Aix?"

In the evening, when Ronan and Zoe were on a "night tour", they couldn't help but talk about the glassware exhibition.

“Next Wednesday.” Zoe’s face was filled with an uncontrollable smile. “Before then, I will take a few days off and stop making things.”

She was so tired every day, and finally took a big step forward and could reward herself with a few days of rest.

She thought of something and said to Ronan happily:

"I'll go to your house during the day and help you make things."

Zoe knew that Ronan was working on the furniture for the restaurant every day.

Ronan shook his head repeatedly:

"How can that be? Take a good rest if you want. Carpentry is more tiring than making glass and ceramics. At least you can sit down. I stand all day."

Zoe put her hands behind her back and said to Ronan playfully:

"So I'm going to help you."

"It's okay if I take my time." Ronan quickly changed the subject, "Can this exhibition only display cups and plates? I saw the little animals you made, they are so beautiful."

Zoe Yoyo says:

"The theme this time is utensils, so I can only display cups and plates. I can't give away other works. But I believe I will have the opportunity to display those things soon. You know, many people will come to the exhibition, and I will be noticed by more people."

"The artist from Lourmarin is about to shock the Provence art world!" Ronan smiled brightly.

“Don’t be ridiculous. I’m serious—” Zoe said in an unquestionable tone, “I’ll come to see you tomorrow morning. I haven’t done woodworking for a long time. If I don’t do it for too long, I’ll become rusty.”

Ronan's eyes lit up and he said expectantly:

"Why don't we go out and have some fun?"

Zoe's eyes also lit up:

"where to?"

She just wanted to spend more time with Ronan.

Actually, you can do anything.

"You said a few days ago that the Migration Festival in Saint-Remy is going to be held. Shall we go and watch the sheep migration?" Ronan wanted to see the great artist continue dancing!
Zoe readily agreed:
"Okay, let's go to Saint-Remy!"

Ronan clenched his fists excitedly.

With just the two of them, they can definitely get enough of Zoe’s sexy dancing moves!
Ronan sent Zoe home and met Louis, who had just learned that his daughter was going to attend the exhibition and was very excited about it.

"I knew you would succeed!" Louis hugged Zoe tightly.

Then he said happily to Zoe and Ronan:
"I just called Freddy, Carl and Alan to tell them the good news, and they suggested that we celebrate it! The Migration Festival in Saint-Remy is about to be held, which is even more lively than the 'Goat Race' in Bernieux. Let's go there to celebrate and hold another joyful collective action!"

Louis' smile froze on his face, and he asked innocently:
"What's wrong with you? Why do you all look unhappy?"

(End of this chapter)