1986: My Happy Life in Provence

Chapter 190 The Devil Teacher
When Ronan heard Hedeli mention Zoe, he felt a little regretful that Zoe couldn't come along on this trip.

Otherwise it will surely be another happy 'vacation'.

"Zoe said she hasn't seen you for a long time and she's sorry that you can't come with us." Ronan recalled how Zoe saw him off before he left.

Speaking of old friends, Hedeli made an 'exaggerated' expression:

"Zoe has always been hardworking. Let her work peacefully at home. She will get 'anxious' if she is out for too many days."

Ronan said leisurely:

"It won't be too long actually. It's just that she has made a work plan in advance. If one change is made, all subsequent plans will be changed."

Hedeli turned her head and looked at Ronan strangely:
"You will be staying in Valensole for at least half a month. Didn't Zoe tell you?"

Rattan weaving is quite complicated. The technique is not difficult, but the difficult part is how to use it. It is not easy for Ronan to come here once, so it is best for her to master it completely before going back. She has explained all this to Zoe in advance.

Ronan also smiled strangely:
“I’m a fast learner.”

Hedeli's brows knitted together unnaturally.

It seems that this 'student' is not very serious.
Ronan thought of something and asked Hedeli:

"Zoe said you could help me make a wrought iron chair?"

Zoe suggested that the restaurant's outdoor furniture could be wooden tables with iron chairs.

She also recommended the blacksmith Hedeli to Ronan, saying that she made things quickly and well, and most importantly, cheaply.

Hedeli nodded:
"After you settle down, you can take some time to come to my house. I have some finished chairs there. See if they are suitable."

Ronan nodded in gratitude:
"Then trouble you."

Batty lived in the most lively district of Valensole, so lively that Ronan's car could not drive into the street where he lived. He could only park a little further away and walk there with his luggage.

The street is lined with shops with tables set out on both sides, children are running and playing on the road, and the aroma of lunch made by the hostess wafts from the building, giving it a full "hot" atmosphere.

"I thought artists didn't like living in such a busy place." Ronan picked up his luggage and walked around the children.

Hedley also had a hard time getting close to the cyclist:

"Others don't like it, but Batty does. In fact, he is not from Valensole, but he lives wherever there is a lot of activity. Recently, it is the season for viewing lavender, so he moved to Valensole. When the weather gets colder in a few months, he may go to Mont Touvant."

Mount Toowong is a ski resort and attracts many tourists in winter.

Ronan has always had a question in his mind:
"He went to the special market in Aix because there were so many people there?"

There are quite a few people who go to markets outside their place of residence to sell things, but they won’t go to places too far away. For example, Ronan will only choose the relatively close village of Mena, and will not go to Aix or Apt.

But Valensole is more than 70 kilometers away from Aix, and there are mountain roads near Valensole, which are not easy to drive on, and the round-trip time is too long.

How did Batty end up selling things at the market in Aix?
Hedeli patiently explained:

"Bati just moved to Valensole from Aix. If Zoe had asked me earlier, I wouldn't have been able to help. I only recently learned that there was a craftsman in Valensole who could weave rattan."

Ronan nodded to show his understanding:

“Aix was bustling in the first few months, it was peak travel season.”

If Batistuta is a person who loves the hustle and bustle of the city and likes to chase the crowds and travel around the world, then living in Aix is very suitable for him.

Hedeli laughed awkwardly twice:

"Yes, the streets of Aix are full of college girls in the summer."

Ronan: “?”

Ronan saw his 'master' Batty at the door of a family restaurant.

The shop owner in Roussillon did not grasp Batistuta's physical features. He was not 'very thin and white', but 'extremely thin' and 'as white as mutton-fat jade', and ridiculously tall. Ronan thought Batistuta might be nearly 1 meters tall.

Please note that this is by no means a compliment to Batti's excellent appearance. Ronan thinks that this artist who is good at rattan weaving has a distinct "morbid beauty".

If it weren't for his extremely penetrating laughter that could be heard from several meters away, Ronan would have thought that this guy was a patient.

Perhaps it was too boring to wait for someone, so the great artist found something to do - chatting animatedly with the female guests in the restaurant.

Hedeli called Batty twice before he remembered that he had another purpose for standing here.

"Hedeli!" Batty finally found Ronan and the others and opened his arms warmly, but his target was Hedeli, "You are beautiful again."

Hedeli returned Barty's enthusiasm with a set of 'ballroom dance steps'.

She nimbly dodged Batty's embrace and said coldly:

"Bati, sometimes you really are like my dog. We just met a few minutes ago, but after playing around for a while you become as enthusiastic as if we haven't seen each other for days. Two hours ago, you came to my house and said that you could let Ronan live in your house, weren't you?"

Batty ignored Hedeli's sarcasm and leaned forward towards Ronan like a gentleman:
"Hello Ronan, I'm so glad you're into rattan weaving."

Hedeli's mission was completed, and he said goodbye to Ronan:
"You got my address, right? You can come over later and look at the chairs. Go on with your work. I'm leaving now."

"Would you like to come to my house for a drink, Hedeli?" Batty invited enthusiastically, but all he got in response was a figure disappearing around the corner.

He curled his lips and said to Ronan:

"Girls nowadays are becoming more and more aloof."

Ronan felt it necessary to thank Hedeli properly.

You can tell that she really doesn't want to stay with Batty for even a second.

"Sorry to bother you these days." Ronan politely thanked Batty.

Batty waved to Ronan enthusiastically:

"Don't bother me. I just like the hustle and bustle. If Hedeli doesn't want to drink, let's drink together. Let's go buy some wine!"

Ronan: "."

Before coming, Ronan asked Zoe to help inquire whether he needed to pay tuition. Hedeli's reply to Zoe was that Batty refused and said it was not necessary.

In that case, Boss Luo will pay for today's drinks. Watching the grocery store clerk carrying two boxes of red wine to his house, Batty was already drunk before he even drank any.

“It’s so cool to have one more person at home!”

When Batty thought that there would be another person at home for the next half month, his steps became as light as a bird about to take off.

Given his incomplete knowledge of Batty, Ronan was worried about seeing something 'embarrassing' at Batty's house.

Unexpectedly, Batty's house was so clean and tidy, with the pleasant smell of lavender and the special aroma of vines everywhere.

"There are two empty rooms, you can pick one." After putting the wine away, Batti actively settled Ronan.

Ronan chose a smaller bedroom on the first floor and unpacked his luggage.

Seeing what was in Ronan's box, Batty couldn't help but walk closer:
"Why did you only bring one set of clothes? You didn't bring any daily necessities."

Ronan is very generous and doesn't seem like someone who lives in poverty.

It is impossible to have only one set of clothes for change.

Ronan said as he cleaned up:

"I learn things very quickly, so I probably won't be here for more than a few days."

Batty's heart, which had just soared, fell heavily.

It's so hard to have someone come to the house to liven up the atmosphere, how can we let Ronan go so easily?
He left Ronan's bedroom solemnly:

"You clean up first. I'll go to the yard to set up the 'classroom'."

The devil teacher Batty is coming soon.

Ronan must not be allowed to leave this house within half a month!

What Batty called "classroom" was the small yard of his house.

There were two small rattan benches, a small table not much bigger than the benches, and rattan strips on the floor.

Ronan felt that this was the most unsuitable place for "class". The bustling sounds on the street were endless, and it would be strange to be able to work here with peace of mind.

However, this trip to Valensole is just for show, so let's not dwell on it.

There is a sense of ritual in class.

Teacher Batty poured two glasses of red wine and placed them in front of the two people. Now that the props were complete, the class could begin:

"I heard that you are learning rattan weaving in order to make furniture?"

Ronan nodded:

"Yes, I have some existing chairs and I want to wrap them with rattan to decorate them, and then I want to make some decorations."

Batty said happily:
"Very good, your needs can be met with rattan weaving."

Ronan continued to ask:
“Is rattan weaving the same as bamboo weaving or straw weaving?”

Hedeli introduced Batty's background to Zoe.

This guy learned his skills from a Chinese master living in Italy. He knows a little bit of the techniques that Ronan mentioned, but the market for rattan art is slightly larger in Europe, so Batti has "deepened his roots" in this field.

Batty is happy that his students have a spirit of exploration:
"They both belong to the same weaving technique, with common basic weaving methods such as flat weaving, twist weaving and button weaving. However, straw weaving is simpler, and because of the material, it cannot bear too much weight. Bamboo and rattan have higher toughness and strength, and can withstand more complex weaving methods. However, rattan weaving must be used in conjunction with a frame."

Ronan nodded with relief.

Knitting methods are universal, so if you learn one, you can learn the others.

Great, I can finally rest assured!
Batti took out a few light-colored vines and wanted to show them to Ronan, but after thinking for a while, he took out another dark-colored vine.

How can a devil teacher teach in a step-by-step manner?

The students will be proud.
The first lesson must give students a sense of intensity, so that they know that this "learning" is not that easy.

"Let's start with the most basic 'pick one and press one' weaving method." Batti gestured to Ronan to do the same as him and take out two rattan strips of different colors.

Ronan uttered a puzzled nasal sound:

"Aren't flat braiding, twist braiding and buttonhole braiding the most basic? You just mentioned that."

Batty said perfunctorily:

“Those are useless.”

Ronan shrugged.

"OK then."

Batty demonstrated and explained:
“Put the first kind of cane in place, and weave the second color cane perpendicular to it, pressing one and picking one up, and when you put the second one down, pick one up and press one down, and so on.”

'Pick one and press one' is a very basic weaving method, which is easy to understand but difficult to operate, especially for beginners. They may not be able to tell which one to pick and which one to press after the second cane.

Batty picked up the third cane and tried to move it as slowly as possible so that Ronan could see it clearly:

"Don't be in a hurry, take your time and watch my method."

The devil teacher also has a competent side.

He glanced at Ronan's progress and wanted to correct him in time, but was so shocked that he stopped what he was doing.

He had only braided the third strand, but Ronan had already braided several rows.

Ronan saw the 'teacher' looking at him and said with a smile:

“I learn things quickly.”

Batty's eyes widened, and he roared angrily in his heart:

Increase the difficulty!

The difficulty must be increased!!
(End of this chapter)