1986: My Happy Life in Provence

Chapter 179: Refuse to talk about love in the name of work!

Living in a small village, the distance between people will be very "close". There are always only a few people in your life, and it is impossible not to be familiar with them.

After only seeking help four or five times, Cotillard and Thomas had a new understanding of Ronan - the "information" they had obtained about Ronan was not accurate.

They needed to use their own eyes and ears to find out who Ronan really was.

"You are actually a professional interior designer?" Ronan used his professional ability to convince Thomas that this was his profession, not some 'life experience'.

"It's not a profession anymore, it's a side job." Ronan, Cotillard and Thomas hid in the shade of a tree, their eyes looking in a certain direction.

In Provence, the scarcity of interior designers is as great as finding a reliable construction team. Cotillard said with some regret:

"I should have asked you to help me design it. I thought you were just doing that for fun."

No wonder the renovation of Ronan Restaurant progressed so quickly, it turns out there is a designer.

Ronan looked at them in surprise:
"You must have heard some 'rumors' from the villagers, right? God, aren't you from Provence? How can you completely believe what the villagers say?"

“Of course I’m from Provence, but I used to live in Apt,” Thomas shrugged.

The customs of the people in Apt are different from those in Luberon. There are many entertainment activities and no one spends a lot of time gossiping.

Ronan asked curiously:

"What kind of shop do you run here?"

Thomas introduced carefully:
"My family owns several quarries and has some craftsmen that I have worked with for many years. I want to open a stoneware shop here."

Ronan raised an eyebrow.

Do you have several quarries at home?
This is the young master of a wealthy family!

Cotillard also introduced herself enthusiastically:
"I used to play in a band in Aix, then I made a little money, and now I'm in the art business. I run an art store."

Ronan's eyes suddenly lit up:

"Does your store accept glass and ceramic cups and plates?"

Cotillard shrugged and said:
"As long as it's good, I'll take anything."

Ronan recommended to her:
"My girlfriend is also an artist. She will come to make furniture with me in a while. If you don't have anything important to do in the afternoon, you can go to my restaurant and I will introduce you to each other."

"It's my pleasure," Cotillard said with a smile.

Ronan suddenly smiled towards the museum:

"My girlfriend is here, see you later."

Thomas and Cotillard saw Ronan jogging to the entrance of the museum which was still under construction, holding the hand of a girl with golden hair, and then the two of them entered Ronan's restaurant chatting and laughing.

"That's his girlfriend?" Thomas narrowed his eyes, as if trying to determine whether what the villagers said about 'Ronan's girlfriend is the most beautiful girl in Lourmarin' was also a rumor.

Cotillard pouted and said:

"Poor girl."

"Why do you say that?" Thomas asked in confusion.

Cotillard also left here:
"Ronan's restaurant is a mess like a war zone. Which girl would want to stay there and make furniture with her boyfriend? And he's an artist! Women give too much for love."

At 3 pm, Cotillard arrived at Ronan's restaurant as scheduled, and unexpectedly discovered a wooden man in the northwest corner of the yard.

Since the two wooden men were wearing layers of protective gear and were having a fierce "quarrel", they still didn't notice even though Cotillard came very close.

The taller wooden man said anxiously:
"Oh no no no, you can't use the table saw, that's too dangerous, stick with the chainsaw."

The shorter wooden man said with disdain:
"While you were in the bathroom, I had already cut four boards with the table saw, and Cafu said there was nothing wrong with my operation."

The taller wooden man uses a roundabout tactic:

"Don't you want to try a planer? I'll get it for you, and you can help me with the board?"

The shorter wooden man protested:

"Stop using the planer, router, and grinder on me, okay? You were wearing crotchless pants when I first started carpentry."

"Please, I'll be worried if you use the table saw and band saw." The taller wooden man said in a pleading tone.

The shorter wooden man patted the other man's butt:

"Okay, baby, I promise I'll be safe, okay?"

Cotillard was stunned by this flirting that was interspersed with a lot of unfamiliar words.

So were these two Ronan and the most beautiful girl in Lourmar, who was also the only artist in the village?
It seems that it is not only Ronan who needs to be observed with eyes and ears, but also this person.
By the way, what was the name of this girl who was obsessed with machine tools? The villagers never mentioned her name.

Suddenly, a sturdy man rushed out aggressively, turned off the power of the machines in the hands of the two people, and then roared at them:

"Zoe, Ronan, if you two continue to date and fall in love in the name of work and affect my guys' work, get out of here, and no one is allowed to touch my tools! Do you hear me?!"

Ronan took off his headphones and asked awkwardly:
"Sorry Cafu, were we talking loudly?"

Wearing headphones, I have no idea.

Cafu pointed at Cotillard and said:

"You've attracted people from dozens of meters away!"

After saying that, he left angrily.

Ronan finally noticed Cotillard's arrival and quickly introduced her:
"Cotillard, this is my girlfriend Zoe."

He thought of what Louis had said about Zoe being treated unfairly by other art shop owners, and continued:

"My girlfriend mainly works with glass and ceramics. She went to Aix-en-Provence to attend a glassware exhibition more than a week ago and was selected by the Royal Academy of Arts—"

Ronan suddenly got stuck.

What was the professor's name?

"Professor Goldman!"

A female voice broke Ronan's memory, but the voice came from not Zoe, but Cotillard.

She walked up to Zoe:
“I’ve heard your name in Aix. You were the only designer that Professor Goldman reviewed that day, and your work was the most impressive to him.”

Ronan was very surprised by Cotillard's reaction.

Is Zoe already that famous?

Cotillard asked Zoe expectantly:
“Can I go see your work?”

Zoe took off her protective gear and said apologetically:
"Most of my work has been sent to Aix, and just this morning, only the cups and plates are left."

Cotillard asked nervously:
"Delivered to the art shop in Aix?"

Zoe shook her head:

"No, I was invited by the Granet Museum to participate in the exhibition."

Cotillard became even more nervous, her brows were deeply furrowed, and combined with her hair, she looked more like a lion.

Ronan introduced Zoe to Cotillard in order to sell her cups and plates, so he took the initiative to suggest:

"Come to my house for dinner tonight and invite Thomas to join us."

The two of them had once invited Ronan to have dinner together, but as Ronan had been busy making furniture recently, nothing happened.

This is a good opportunity to bring us closer together.

Unexpectedly, Cotillard rejected Ronan without even a second thought:
"I'm sorry Ronan, I'm afraid I can't today."

Cotillard said to Zoe seriously:

"Now show me your cup and plate."

Ronan was so shocked that he was speechless.

Why does he need to protect Zoe?
Zoe is really famous in the Provence artist circle now!
night.

"Zoe didn't come back with you?" Feng Zhen looked around outside the door. "Didn't you say you would come to my house for dinner tonight?"

Ronan smiled and shrugged:

"Zoe should be counting money now."

When Cotillard went to Zoe's house, she borrowed Ronan's truck, apparently intending to make a big purchase.

After explaining to her mother why Zoe didn't come along, Feng Zhen smacked her lips in regret:

"Oh, I thought Zoe could give you an evaluation of your father's improved dishes from a local's perspective."

Ronan paused while taking off his clothes:
"Did Dad finally decide on the menu?"

(End of this chapter)