1986: My Happy Life in Provence

Chapter 233 Customers who need to be received by the boss personally

Candies and people in strange outfits are meant to attract children, but Halloween is not just a holiday for children. Ronan also prepared "gifts" for the "big kids".

And it wasn't just the twenty or so employees and friends in the restaurant who helped him create the atmosphere. He was not the only one in Lourmarin who knew about Halloween.

When Cotillard knew that Ronan's restaurant was going to hold a Halloween theme event, she immediately started making arrangements. Recently, she has been regretting that she cannot return to Aix to attend the Halloween party because she has to watch the store.

Taking into account that there are many families with children coming to the restaurant, Ronan greatly weakened the horror level when planning, moving towards cuteness and fun.

But Cotillard didn't consider any of this at all. The punk girl with unique personality decorated her art shop into a "horror house".

The residents of Luberon who saw this style of shop for the first time were deeply attracted by it. Whenever they passed by, they couldn't help but curiously see what was sold inside. For a time, the traffic surged.

In addition, Cotillard was also responsible for the "referee" work of a Halloween game.

There is a huge table in front of the art shop. On the table there is a large basin with a diameter of about 60 cm, which is 3/4 filled with clean water, and 8 apples are floating on the water.

Cotillard, dressed in a witch costume, enthusiastically introduced the rules to the contestants:

"In the 'Apple Biting Game', each group of four people will be in a group. Whoever bites the apple first and puts it on the plate in front of me will be the winner. Please note that you must keep your hands behind your back during the whole process. Come on, guys, show your passion! Prove to your girlfriend or wife who is the best man in Provence!"

This kind of childish game, which is not difficult at all but can show off one's masculine charm, seems to be prepared for the naturally competitive men of Provence.

Some of them would plunge their entire heads into the basin in order to win quickly, just to push the apple to the bottom of the basin so that they could bite it more easily. The price of victory was that they themselves became as wet as a lotus emerging from water.

Others fought fiercely for an apple, and when they failed to kill the enemy with their heads, they immediately took out a more powerful weapon - their teeth.

The fighting in such a small basin was as intense as that in the ancient Roman Colosseum.

Watching these people's fierce fight, Cotillard laughed so hard that he fell backwards:

"There's no need to go to Aix for special festivals anymore. Lourmarin also has a great festival atmosphere. These people have fun even crazier than the people in Aix!"

Thomas also decorated the stone shop, but he completed it only after asking Ronan for help.

After Ronan decorated his own restaurant, there were still a lot of decorations left, so he decorated Thomas's shop in the same style as the restaurant.

To thank Ronan for his help, Thomas became Ronan's temporary worker today.

Ronan moved the small games that he had no place to put to Thomas's place and asked him to help with the 'cash register'.

However, the "referee" of this game is not Thomas, but someone else.

A man with a strange 'donkey' mask on his head had a row of wine glasses in front of him, each with a long straw that was more tangled than a ball of string.

"This game is very simple. It's just about who drinks faster. It's 15 francs a time. It's cheap, isn't it? It's about the same price to buy a glass of wine in a pub. When you drink in a pub, your wife will call you a 'drunkard', but now they will cheer for you and say 'Dear, you are the best!', who wants to play?"

A man dressed as a farmer looked at the straw:

"This must be hard to suck up."

The man in the donkey mask picked up a cup and took a big sip of wine with a straw:
"Dude, this is simple. If you can't even drink this, I advise you to see a doctor."

Provencal men cannot be "motivated". If you say he is not capable, he must prove to you that he is extremely capable.

The 'donkey' masked man gathered all the players for this round of the game with just a few words.

After the competition started, the contestants were all red-faced, trying to drink while "explaining" to their wives or girlfriends:
This damn game is too difficult, so I drink slowly, but don't worry, my dear, I have gradually mastered the key points, and victory will definitely belong to me.

Amid the cheers of the crowd, the masked man with the donkey looked like a real devil holding a whip, drinking and shouting loudly:

"Drink it, drink it quickly, the person next to you has already drunk half a cup, how come you still have so much? Drink it in big gulps, man, there is no time!!"

Suddenly, a little girl dressed as a fairy came running over and pulled the clothes of the man with the donkey mask:
"Dad! I found three more candies!"

The donkey masked man put down his glass, squatted down, touched his daughter's head and said:

"Don't eat too much, Anna, or you'll get cavities."

"Dad, I love Halloween! Today is so much fun!" Anna laughed and ran away, "I'm going to find Uncle Ronan. I know he still has candy in his pocket!"

Theo smiled and picked up the glass, taking several gulps:

"I like Halloween, too."

Residents from other villages in Luberon came to Lourmarin to celebrate the festival, and all the villagers of Lourmarin joined in the celebration.

The whole of Lourmarin was immersed in the joyful atmosphere of this unknown festival.

Just as Ronan had guessed before, the people of Provence would definitely not be absent wherever they heard there was something going on.

Of course, Ronan's Halloween plan did not escape the government's eyes.

Sylvie not only supported Ronan in organizing the event, but also allocated him a little budget, so the scope of the Halloween event spread from the restaurant to the entire commercial street.

Now the government and Ronan are completely on the same page. The government will cooperate with whatever Ronan does.

Sylvie just didn't have enough budget, otherwise she would support Ronan to hold a bigger and more grand party. Maybe the entire Lourmarin village would be dressed up as a big pumpkin.

But not having money now doesn’t mean you won’t have money in the future.

While the whole village was celebrating Halloween, their village chief Blanco was still working hard on next year's budget. "Blanco, I took a lot of videos and photos, can you see if I can put them in the report?"

Sylvie rushed into the village chief's office excitedly with her camera and video camera.

Blanco smiled and pointed out the window:
"I don't need to see your footage to know how lively it is today. Downstairs is filled with children's laughter and screams."

Sylvie asked Blanco:
"The atmosphere here is not as good as the commercial street. That's where the excitement is. Do you want to go and have a look?"

Blanco twisted his sore neck:

"Let's go later. If there are any activities in the evening, I'll go and join them."

Sylvie said excitedly:
"There is a bonfire party in the evening, and Ronan told me that the Halloween atmosphere at night is better than during the day! Now those people from other villages are commenting on our Lourmarin 'fashion'. I recorded all of this!"

Blanco said happily:
"If I got off work early, I would definitely go to this 'fashion' event."

After Silvi left, Blanco wrote a new heading on the last page of his thick report:
「Lourmarin Special Festival Event - Halloween」

He smiled and said to himself while recording:

"Ronan, Ronan, how many excellent materials have you contributed to me? If the budget is really approved, how much will I have to pay you back?"

In the evening, many strange people wearing pumpkin heads appeared on the streets of Lourmarin.

When they see someone, they will remind:
"The bonfire party is about to begin, let's go and join it!"

Several artists walked towards Ronan's restaurant and exclaimed sincerely:

“The atmosphere here is better than the Halloween event I attended in St. Remy last year, where there was only a ball, but Lourmarin is all Halloween-themed.”

"That's right! Ronan's restaurant has a 'themed' set menu. The beef stew with pumpkin casserole is really great. I also like pumpkin fried rice. I will come to Lourmarin to celebrate Halloween next year!"

"And don't you think the pumpkins here are all very well carved? They are as beautiful as works of art, and each one has a different expression."

"Lourmarin has such a strong artistic atmosphere now that I am seriously considering whether to move here to live."

"Come on, come on, let's go together. I also want to live somewhere else so that I can see Zoe more often."

"Let's go to the bonfire party first! Look, the 'Pumpkin Trail' is all set up. I love Lourmarin so much."

There is a festive atmosphere outside the restaurant.

The festive atmosphere in the restaurant became even more intense.

Many guests were reluctant to leave after their meal and gave up their seats and went to the backyard with wine to join the bonfire party that was about to begin.

Ronan didn't plan the specific content of the bonfire party, but he was not worried at all.

With so many artists here, is there still a lack of programs?
Maybe that little space is not enough for them to display their skills!
The bonfire was lit in the backyard, but Ronan was still helping in the kitchen, with no intention of watching over it.

But at about 6 o'clock, Isabel came running in to find him in a panic:
"Ronan, Ronan, there's another person here who claims to be your friend."

Several people in the kitchen laughed out loud at the same time.

Business is so good today that there are people waiting for a table every moment.

Some 'smart' guys knew the owner Ronan's name and used the excuse of 'I'm Ronan's friend' in the hope that the waiter would let them in as soon as possible.

But Ronan had gone out and met his 'friends' five or six times, and none of them were real friends.

"You said the boss isn't here." Ronan said without even raising his head.

Lisa Bell said tangledly:

"No. I think this person might really be your friend. Her aura is so strong. She just frowned slightly and I didn't dare to look at her."

Ronan looked up and thought for a moment:
"I'll go out and see."

There are too many people waiting for a table outside.

Isabel searched for a long time before she saw the distinguished guest.

She turned around to introduce Ronan, but found that Ronan had teleported to the guest and said respectfully:
"Why didn't you inform me in advance before you came?"

The lady in the windbreaker tightened her clothes:
"Should I tell you to prepare your performance for me in advance?"

Facing the obvious "difficulty" from the other side, Ronan was not angry, but smiled and said:
"Hurry, hurry, come in, it's cold outside!"

"Is there any room left?" the lady asked hesitantly.

Ronan made a gesture of invitation:
"As long as you come, there is always a seat!"

Isabel went in with the menu, but Ronan took the menu from her and said seriously:
"Don't worry about this. I'll receive you personally."

Isabel tilted her head.

I wondered what kind of friend this was that Ronan could lick him like this?

(End of this chapter)