1986: My Happy Life in Provence

Chapter 268 Who said there is only one olive branch?
Cornell was the best-educated farmer in Lourmarin.

He has a good personality, is polite, has a certain level of education, and is a positive person.

All this is inseparable from the education of his mother Aknina.

The most skilled quilt embroidery craftsman in Lourmarin is also the strictest mother in the village.

When we were young, it was very common for children to visit each other's homes, but no child dared to go to Cornell's house because they were all afraid of Cornell's mother, who was always serious.

It is said that whenever Aknina educated Cornell and his sisters, the cats and dogs outside the house would stay away.

Of course, strict parenting also brings many benefits.

Cornell is the hardest working farmer around Ronan.

When he is not farming, he will take the initiative to find other things to do, and when he is resting at home, he will help his mother sew and embroider quilts.

Recently, in addition to cutting down bushes in the forest, he also takes time to help Ronan deliver truffles to several restaurants. He earns three times the salary by himself, and never complains or feels tired.

Apart from being a little bit lustful and obsessed with Astrid, Ronan couldn't find any fault with Cornell.

Perhaps thinking of Cornell's childhood experiences, Ronan put himself in the shoes of Cornell's childhood playmate, and was actually a little "scared" when he saw Aknina.

Ronan invited this "highly respected" elder from Lourmarin to sit on the sofa and explained:
"There's construction going on at home recently, please don't mind."

The heating construction is nearing completion and will be completed and debugged soon, but the house is even more messy at this stage.

The Paris family has become accustomed to this living environment, but they feel a little embarrassed to entertain guests.

Akenina is a typical Luberon woman, who speaks directly and frankly, never hiding anything, but she has no bad intentions:
"I think your house needs a thorough cleaning. It's really too dirty. If you need help, you can ask Cornell to help you."

"Okay." Ronan listened carefully like a good student.

Aknina didn't let Ronan guess for too long and quickly stated her purpose.

She opened the large bundle she had brought with her, revealing a small, but beautifully patterned, white cotton quilt:

"This is a little quilt I made in my spare time. I thought maybe you or your parents would like it."

Ronan didn't have any familiar women around him who could sew quilts, so this was his first time to appreciate this craft that has been passed down in Provence for hundreds of years.

The origins of quilts are linked to cotton and calico fabrics from Egypt or India.

They arrived in France via the port of Marseille, making Provence the first region in France where these fabrics were discovered.

Marseille merchants then exported the quilts to the Mediterranean coast, such as North Africa and Italy, making it a representative item of "Made in France".

But the large-scale handicraft workshops in Marseille began to decline in the 18th century, and embroidery gradually became a household craft, initially used to make bedspreads, baby swaddling clothes or religious clothing, and later a symbol of dowry for families in southern France.

"It's beautiful." The quilt was white. Ronan was reluctant to touch it. He just looked up and asked Akonina curiously, "But why did you give it to me?"

Although this quilt is small, the pattern is not common.

The embroidered quilts on the market mostly feature religious symbols such as olive branches, lavender, bees or crosses, but this quilt obviously has certain "design" elements and the patterns are more complex.

Ronan guessed that this small quilt might cost more than 400 francs at the market.

Aknina put it away and carefully placed it on the sofa beside her:

"You introduced Cornell to a job. I asked him several times to find an opportunity to thank you, but Cornell said that you are friends and there is no need to thank you specifically. However, I think these courtesies should not be omitted. Please accept them."

Ronan smiled and said:
"Cornell is right. We are friends, and it is natural for friends to help each other. Aknina, please put the things away. Cornell and I really don't need these."

Aknina had no intention of putting away her things, and said more frankly:

"I know other villagers often go to your restaurant for dinner, but my family has never been there once. But Cornell is a hardworking and down-to-earth child. I hope you can give him more opportunities."

Ronan's expression changed.

It turns out that Aknina came here for Cornell.
As early as the summer, the rumor in the village was that Ronan could make money no matter what he did. If you could learn something from him, you would definitely be able to make money too.

Of course, there is nothing wrong with what he said.

Perhaps it was because the women who received the wreath orders often frequented Ronan's restaurant with their families, which made Aknina feel a sense of crisis. She was worried that Ronan would "ignore" Cornell because of this, so she came to his house with gifts.

Aknina is not only a strict mother, but also a mother who loves her children.

In this case, Ronan can no longer accept anything:

"Other villagers come to my restaurant just to express their gratitude to me. You should know that I have been organizing them to make weaving products recently."

Aknina sighed:

"It is for this reason that I have to come here."

She looked at Ronan and said:
"Cornell has urged me many times to make a wreath, but I refused for my own reasons. It has nothing to do with him."

He really thinks about Cornell everywhere, Ronan sighed in his heart.

He followed up on this topic and asked Aknina:
"Then may I ask why you don't want to make a wreath? I don't mean anything by that. I'm just curious. I'm sure Cornell told you how much I charge for a wreath."

The straightforward Aknina actually hesitated, and it was obvious that she did not want to answer the question.

Ronan did not force her, and comforted her politely:

"It's okay. If you don't want to talk about it, forget it. But please rest assured. I know Cornell doesn't have his own land yet, so you are particularly worried about his future. I will definitely think of him in the future."

The Cornell family did not have their own farmland and needed to find a landowner to sign a 'shareholder' contract.

However, to this day, Cornell has not found anyone willing to let him take care of the land, so he has been working with Pierre and Fabian this fall.

But this is not a long-term solution. If he can't find someone who trusts him, he will starve sooner or later.

Ronan's status in Lourmarin is no lower than Blanco's, and the guarantees he gave even made the villagers more at ease.

There are too many restrictions on Blanc, and he cannot represent the entire Lourmarin government, but Ronan can make his own decisions.

If he says he will think of Cornell, he will definitely think of Cornell.

Aknina cast a grateful look at Ronan:
“Cornell made a great friend.”

Aknina came to Ronan's house to give gifts, and she would not leave until she gave them away.

Ronan knew that if he didn't accept it today, it would be difficult for this worried mother to feel at ease.

But the value of an embroidered quilt is not how much money it costs, but how much time it takes.

This "luxury product" takes at least 8 days to make and is much more valuable than a meal for the villagers in a restaurant.

That's one-third of a woman's monthly income!

After the Lourmarin market this week, Ronan drove a cart full of stuff to Cornell's house.

I stuffed fruits and snacks into Cornell's sister's child's pockets, telling him to eat more so he can grow taller.

The vegetables and meat were moved directly into the kitchen, with the excuse that the restaurant had received too many dishes today and they would be wasted if they couldn't be finished.

Finally, Ronan personally handed a bag of seafood to Aknina:
"I'm going to ask Cornell to do some work for me in a few days. I'll give him some nourishment. You can eat with him. I'll buy a lot."

Ronan was afraid that Aknina would fight with him, so he put down his things and drove away.

But Aknina still chased out. She stood in front of Ronan and said in a complicated tone:
"I now understand why Pires couldn't bring back the players even if he raised the price. It's not just because the wreaths make more money, but also because you are a better 'boss'."

In fact, Aknina didn't have a very good impression of Ronan.

Because after Cornell met Ronan, he became less "down to earth".

Although this slightly plump young man is still working hard and doing several jobs at the same time, the dreams and goals he talks about are becoming increasingly unrealistic in Aknina's eyes.

You are just an ordinary young man from a village in the Luberon Mountains. Is it what you should think about, making a lot of money, buying a nice car, and marrying a beautiful wife from the city?

Aknina stubbornly believed that all the changes in her son were brought about by Ronan.

But Ronan could indeed help Cornell make money, so this usually serious woman who had a superior status among the women of Lourmarin still went to Ronan's house to give a gift.

The embroidered quilt was worth 500 francs, but what Ronan gave her in return was much more than that.

At the same time, Ronan did not forget to assure Aknina - please don't worry, I will arrange something for Cornell to do.

How can Pires, who only knows how to spread rumors behind people's backs, be compared with Ronan?

But Aknina did have her own reasons for not being able to give up embroidered quilts.

This most serious mother in Lourmarin showed another side of herself in front of Ronan.

She raised her head and said in a natural tone:
"I started learning quilt embroidery from my mother when I was 8 years old, and I could do it independently when I was 10 years old. When my peers only knew how to play, I went to a workshop in Marseille. Later, the workshop closed down, and I returned to Lourmarin. Since then, my name has been closely associated with quilt embroidery. When people mention quilt embroidery, they will think of me, Akonina—" Akonina suddenly looked into Ronan's eyes, and asked as if she was mocking herself:

“If I stop making quilts, will anyone still know who Aknina is?”

Aknina’s words reminded Ronan of a Chinese proverb: It is better to be the head of a chicken than the tail of a phoenix.

The words may sound a bit harsh, but the principle is the same.

In Lourmarin, Akenina is synonymous with quilts, and when people mention her, they will definitely think of her superb quilt embroidery skills.

Having been praised like this for decades, isn't she another 'Proud Lucas'?
Aren't those women who make embroidered quilts in Lourmarin also "little brothers" in Lucas' eyes?
It's hard for Aknina to lower her head.
"If this is your only concern, I can say responsibly that even if you don't make quilts, everyone must know who Aknina is." Ronan replied firmly.

"What do you mean?" Aknina asked confusedly.

Now it was Ronan's turn to sigh:
"To be honest, we are currently lacking a 'leader'."

Old guy Pires threw away the olive branch thrown by Ronan, so Ronan will break off another one and give it to someone else!

Batty's figure has become visibly thinner.

The two ounces of meat that Ronan gained by cultivating his love of eating were all wasted by the more than 100 women in Lourmarin.

The number of decorations brought in each time is limited. Although Cafu said he can accept as many wreaths as possible, they have to come in batches. In order to facilitate management and counting, the number of decorations that women can get each time is fixed.

But everyone wanted to make more money, so when the day came to distribute the decorations, all the people were whispering in Batty's ear.

Batty is a man who can't be strict with ladies, and he is so worried that he is going bald.

All the decorations Ronan bought were stored in Batti's house.

"Didn't we agree that we would only give you 5 sets this time? Because you took more last time, you took 8 sets." He negotiated with a woman.

The woman smiled and said:
"But you gave me very little last time."

Batty recalled:
"That's because you were just learning at that time and were slow at learning. I definitely couldn't give you too much."

"Yeah, now that I've learned it, can you give me a few more?"

"No, no, I've already divided it up. If I change it, the others will be messed up again."

"I'm really fast now, please give me two more sets, please."

Before this man's problem was solved, other women's problems came one after another. Batty begged for mercy and said:

"Come one by one, I can't hear you all clearly."

"Bati, I brought you a new student." Suddenly, Ronan appeared in Batti's yard with Aknina.

The women opened their eyes and mouths in surprise.

Akonina is going to learn knitting?
Lourmarin has changed!!

Ronan heard the voices of the women in the yard from a distance. He whispered in Aknina's ear:
"This is the problem I wanted to ask for help last time when I went to Pires' house."

These women are going to bully Batty to death!
Aknina gave Ronan a look that said "don't worry", then she moved a rattan stool and sat next to Batty:
"I'm here to learn how to weave."

Batty looked at Ronan for help.

Ronan raised his chin and indicated that he should do what he was supposed to do.

So Batty apologized to Aknina and said:
"Please wait a moment. I'll teach you after I finish what I'm doing."

Then he turned to the woman beside him and said:

"Your five sets, take them now."

The woman lowered her voice and said:

"Just give me more—"

"You've forgotten the rules after just a few days?" Aknina suddenly said coldly, "We do whatever the boss gives us. Everything is done according to your ideas. Is this business yours or Ronan's?"

She looked at the group of women and said sternly:
"Lourmarin just changed his manual work. It is still the same as before."

"Okay, Aknina." The women nodded in agreement.

They lived their whole lives making quilts under the "shadow" of Aknina, and no one dared to contradict this legendary woman.

Besides being a synonym for embroidered quilt, Aknina is also a synonym for strictness.

Batty had a very comfortable afternoon.

Ever since Aknina sat in the yard, the women became extremely well behaved. They took their things and left without saying a single word.

He pulled Ronan into the house and asked excitedly:
"Ronan, can the cool and lovely lady in the courtyard come to study every day?"

Ronan smiled and patted his shoulder:

"That's the helper I found for you. From now on, you two can discuss the weaving matters together."

Batty is professional and patient.

Aknina has prestige in the village and can control these women.

With these two people around, Ronan can finally rest assured about this weaving business!

That night, Cornell returned home and saw that Ronan had sent so many things. He didn't even have time to eat and ran to the restaurant to find Ronan nervously.

"Did my mother say something to you?" Connie asked nervously and apologetically.

Cornell knew his mother had gone to Ronan's house, but he didn't know what happened that day.

Moreover, his mother Aknina said more than once that Cornell had changed, and that it was influenced by Ronan.

He was very afraid that his strict mother was going to Ronan's house to "question" him.

"No, why would Akonina say anything about me?" Ronan said with a smile, "We are now in a cooperative relationship."

"Ah?" Cornell poked his head in. "What kind of cooperation?"

Ronan asked unexpectedly:

"You came out as soon as you got home? Without even saying hello to your mother?"

Cornell wiped the sweat from his forehead:

"I came here right away when I saw you delivered the things. Did my mother really not make things difficult for you?"

Ronan shook his head:

"Really? I'll give you some other things to do after you finish your work in the forest. So I'll send you some food in advance. Go home and eat. Seafood won't taste good if it gets cold."

When Cornell heard that Ronan was going to give him another job, he immediately smiled and turned around and left obediently:
"Okay, then I'll go back first."

He had just taken two steps when Ronan called him again from behind.

Cornell turned back and Ronan said to him:
"You have a good mother, be nice to her in the future."

Cornell didn't know why Ronan suddenly said this, but he nodded and agreed:
"must!"

The proud Aknina has bowed her head under Ronan's persuasion and is ready to face new challenges.

And when will the proud Lucas let go of his self-esteem?
"A-choo--" Lucas sneezed.

In mid-December, the weather became cooler.

Lucas glanced at Margaret lying on the sofa and found that she was curled up, as if she felt cold.

There was an electric heater at home specifically for Margaret, but it was borrowed by Theo at the beginning of the year.

Lucas wanted to call Theo to bring the baby over, but he remembered that Theo still had classes to attend during the day and he didn't know if he had returned home yet.

Moreover, ever since he missed the Carpentras truffle market, he has been in a bad mood. He doesn't like staying at home and always wants to go out to change his mood.

So he picked up his car keys, left home, and drove towards Theo's home.

"I haven't been there for a long time. The last time I went to Theo's house, Ronan was renovating the kitchen."

Lucas couldn't help but think back to the last time he went to his brother's house.

(End of this chapter)