1986: My Happy Life in Provence

Chapter 269 Miraculous Transfer

Lucas's family and Theo's family are in two directions of Lourmarin Village, one in the north and the other in the south.

If Lucas hadn't gone to see Theo, he wouldn't have had the chance to visit the south side of the village.

When he came to this area this time, he found that many of the buildings he remembered had changed.

Some have become newer, some have changed the exterior wall color, some have become bigger, and there are a few houses that I have never seen before, so they must have undergone a major renovation.

"How many houses have been renovated in Lourmarin this year?" Lucas was more and more surprised as he drove.

The budget for house-related projects is not cheap. In the past, if someone wanted to repair or expand their house, it would be a big event that the whole village would go to watch.

Is it becoming so rare and common now?
A few minutes later, Lucas parked the car in front of Theo's house.

As Lucas expected, Theo had not returned home at this time, but Theo's wife Rebecca said that Theo should be back soon.

But to Lucas's surprise, Theo's house was very warm, much hotter than his own.

If the Lucas house had been this warm, Margaret would never have curled up.

"Why is the room so hot this year?" Lucas asked Rebecca.

In the past, Theo's house was as cold as an ice cellar, and sometimes Anna had to go to her grandmother's house to live in the winter.

It was only then that Lucas realized that his lazy brother hadn't made up all kinds of excuses to "borrow" money from him this year?
Rebecca smiled and said:
"Theo was worried that Anna would be cold, so he bought several sets of electric heaters for the house. I was afraid that Anna would get sick if she went out of such a hot room, but Theo insisted on keeping them on all the time."

Lucas appeared calm on the surface, but he was thinking:

In the past, Theodore was reluctant to burn firewood, but now he is willing to use electricity?

"I'll get it for you. I remember Theo put it in the basement." Rebecca went to get something for Lucas and left the living room.

While waiting for Rebecca to get her things, Lucas also discovered that Anna had more toys.

The floor, sofa, and kitchen were covered with the doll's clothes and limbs.

"Is this it?" Rebecca quickly brought out the electric heater. "Let me wipe it for you. It's covered in dirt."

Lucas asked in a chatty tone:

"Theo makes a lot of money from this job?"

He didn't ask in detail what Theo was doing, he just heard that it was a part-time job in a government department.

Rebecca nodded and said:

"It's over 3000 francs a month, but I heard it will be finished by next month."

Lucas said nothing.

Rebecca is a full-time housewife. Even if she earns an extra 3000 francs a month, the change shouldn't be that big, right?

Not long after, Theo came back.

He was holding food in both of his hands, and as soon as he came in he started shouting at the top of his voice, as if he wanted Ronan, who was several hundred meters away, to hear:

"Rebecca! I bought the lamb legs and lamb tripe that Anna wanted to eat. Let's finish eating quickly so that we can continue to make up tonight—"

Theo saw Lucas sitting in the living room, blinked twice, and changed the topic:

"Keep making up stories. Anna loves to listen to the stories we make up. Why are you here, Lucas?"

Lucas thought Theo was weird, but he couldn't tell what was wrong:
"I'll get the heater."

Theo turned to the kitchen and said enthusiastically:

"Stay for dinner tonight, will you? I bought some lamb shanks and lamb tripe. Let's have a couple of drinks."

Lucas shook his head:
"No, I have two people and a dog at home waiting for me to eat."

Theo's voice came from the kitchen:

"Call them and bring Margaret with them. I bought a lot, enough for three more people."

Lucas squinted in the direction of the kitchen.

When he first returned to Lourmarin, he felt that the villagers' state was unfamiliar to him.

Now he suddenly felt that his younger brother Theo had also become a stranger.

Not to mention Theo's family's sudden improvement in financial situation, whenever the two brothers talked, Theo was always the one who listened obediently, not daring to breathe.

Now Theo has become 'bold'.

This is not a derogatory word, but a compliment.

Lucas felt that Theo had become more confident and no longer lived in his shadow.

Lucas' wife and son were still at home. He rejected Theo's kindness and left with the electric heater.

When he left, Theo moved another set of electric heaters to Lucas' car, saying that he bought too many and couldn't use them.

This is the first time this has happened.

It's time for Theo, the younger brother, to 'take care' of his older brother.

On the way home, Lucas drove very slowly.

He wanted to take a closer look at Lourmarin, his hometown where he had lived for decades.

It seems that if I am not careful, I will lose a piece of memory here.

As they were driving, Lucas saw a man standing on the roof of a house from a distance.

He guessed that the man was either reinforcing the roof or waterproofing it.

"Another family renovating their house." Lucas drove slower, wanting to get a closer look.

But this family took him by surprise.

The person standing on the roof turned out to be Henry
The 'poor' in Lourmarin can now afford to repair their roofs? ?
Lucas pulled over to the side of the road and wanted to talk to Henry.

Ask him how he made money?
Henry saw Lucas, but he pretended not to see him and continued with what he was doing.

And Lucas also discovered that Henry saw him.
This discovery was even more shocking than seeing dolls all over Theo's house.

Henry, the 'lapdog' who followed him every chance he got, deliberately ignored him?
Is this Lourmarin or not?
Proud Lucas stepped on the accelerator and disappeared at the end of the road.

Henry on the roof snorted coldly:
"Do you still think I'm the Henry from before? How many times have I been so eager to please you, but you've given me such a cold shoulder? I have to let you feel it too!"

Lucas sped off, filled with confusion and anger. How could Lourmarin have become like this after only six months away?

When he was almost home, he saw another person on the road.

Lucas had intended to rush away and ignore the man this time, but he didn't expect the man to take the initiative to greet him.

Pires, wearing a woolen hat, walked to Lucas's car:

"Where have you been?"

Lucas pointed to his trunk:

"Go to Theo's house and get the heater."

"I remember Theo's house is next to Ronan's, right?" Pires said to Lucas as if he was dumping garbage into a trash can. "Ronan is too much. He actually forced Aknina to make wreaths! God, Aknina loves quilting so much. She has been learning this craft since she was 8 years old."

This is what Pires said dozens of times a day. Whenever he met someone on the street, he would tell them about his "tragic experience".

Fifteen minutes later.

Lucas took out a cigarette and put it in his mouth:

"You mean to say that Ronan has organized the women of Lourmarin to make wreaths, so there is no one to make quilts for you."

"That's right!" Pires slammed the car door angrily. "He actually forced Aknina to make wreaths! God, Aknina loves quilting so much. She has been doing it since she was 8 years old--"

Lucas interrupted the repeater:
"How much is a wreath?"

Pires muttered:

"Fifty francs, I think."

Lucas blew a puff of smoke into an empty space:

“How long does it take to make one?”

Pires groaned for a long time:
"Two or three days."

Lucas nodded:
"Everyone in Lourmarin knows that you can only trust one tenth of what you say, so it takes two or three hours to make one."

He pointed to his temple and said to Pires:

"Who would want to make an embroidered quilt as long as there's nothing wrong here?"

Pires shouted:

"I don't care! Now I'm the only one making the quilt, and everyone else ignores me. What do you think I should do? They huddle together for warmth, and they just isolate me!"

Lucas said in a joking tone:

“Maybe you’re not the only one who’s isolated?”

After saying that, he slowly drove away.

At the back of the car, Pires' shrewish voice faded away:

"After Ronan moved in, Lourmarin changed. It changed! This is no longer the Lourmarin I am familiar with!!"

Lucas threw the cigarette butt out and closed the car window to block out the noise.

It turns out that Ronan is the source of all the changes in Lourmarin.

He helped the farmers find jobs and taught the women how to make money.

The lives of all those he helped have undergone tremendous changes.

No, no, no, that can't be described as a simple change.
Lucas suddenly remembered what Pierre said to him on the day Ronan's restaurant opened two months ago:

"Ronan will continue to create new 'miracles'. Lucas, welcome back to Lourmarin. A brand new Lourmarin!"

That is not change, but one miracle after another.

By helping those around him, Ronan transferred the miracle that happened to him to the people of Lourmarin.

Among them are his younger brother Theo and the "poor guy" Henry.

Ronan had wanted to help him but Lucas missed it.

But Lucas may be the one who needs a "miracle" the most in Lourmarin.

God knows how much pressure he is under.

"The day after tomorrow, the day after tomorrow everything will be completed and we can debug the equipment!"

Mr. Simon disappeared after the 'groundbreaking ceremony'.

The second time he showed up at Ronan's house was to inform them that the work was to be completed.

"There's no ceremony, right?" Feng Zhen asked politely.

"The biggest ceremony is to light the boiler!" Simon made a gesture of encouragement, "See you the day after tomorrow, friends. Let's witness that sacred moment together."

"Thank God, there was no strange ceremony." Feng Zhen curled her lips when she thought of that outrageous 'groundbreaking ceremony'.

"Thank God, this chaotic situation is finally coming to an end." Ronan made a praying gesture.

After Simon left, the Paris family prepared to eat something and went to open the restaurant, but the two dogs suddenly wandered around the door, as if they wanted to go out.

"I'm done walking you guys." Ronan shouted to them.

Marseille called out to Ronan a few times, as if he was talking to him.

Level 3 [Hunting] gives Ronan the ability to read animals' emotions.

Ronan didn't know what Marseille meant exactly, but he was very anxious.

He felt something was wrong, so he opened the door to see if anything was happening outside.

As a result, I saw a dog and a man standing on the asphalt road about ten meters away from the door.

"Walking the dog?" Ronan asked with a smile.

Lucas pointed to the sky:
"It's a nice day, wanna join us?"

"Okay." Ronan took a coat from the door, pushed the anxious Marseille in, kicked the calm Xiao Hei out, and then said to Lucas with a smile, "Let's go."

(End of this chapter)