1986: My Happy Life in Provence

Chapter 569 You hateful bunch of lazy bums!
If each month had a title, then August's theme would definitely be—the battle of time.

The church and organ must be put into use before the Feast of the Assumption of Mary.

New restaurants, dessert and bakeries, and the flagship store of the Lourmaran Handicraft Cooperative are competing with their peers to see who can gain an early advantage.

Ronan also has to prepare for a battle of time, and in this battle, he is truly racing against time.

As Sandrine said, every event held in Lourmaran in the future will be a valuable opportunity to 'introduce oneself'.

The Feast of the Assumption of Mary has not yet brought the expected benefits, and we need to continue to observe the situation.

Achieving better-than-expected results in August is crucial for the first Lourmaran Marathon.

The exposure of Stella was one aspect, but another was due to Mr. Ronan, a 'celebrity' from the Lesser Luberon region.

However, standing out among 5000 contestants is like finding a needle in a haystack. To shine in Lourmaran, one needs to put in even more effort!

However, overexerting physical strength before a major competition is a big no-no. Ronan chose to spend some time during the day training his physical functions, coordination, and some strength training.

Around 1 p.m., Ronan did push-ups in front of his house during his free time after lunch, sweat dripping all over the ground.

Approaching his physical limit, he thought in despair:

Who exactly signed up for the marathon?
On such a hot day, wouldn't he be more comfortable drinking cold drinks and eating fruit at home?

Isn't this just forcing yourself to suffer when you can't?
A moment later, he heard someone outside the vineyard shouting "Go for it!" The voice sounded hoarse and was accompanied by heavy, labored breathing.

Ronan thought someone had come to cheer him on, but when he stood up, he saw Cornell, whose face was as red as a monkey's bottom.

The chubby boy showed no sign of stopping, running past Ronan's vineyard and continuing towards Theo's house.

"What are you doing? Running in the middle of the day?" Ronan shouted from afar.

Cornell was hunched over, head down, running like a zombie, seemingly about to collapse at any moment.
"I've also signed up for the marathon and am currently training."

"You signed up too?" Ronan's eyes widened.

One second he was wondering who was signing up for the marathon, and the next he saw someone who was 'willing to endure hardship'.

"Why did you sign up?" Ronan jogged over.

Excuse me, contestant, please wait a moment. I'd like to interview you!

Cornell stopped, put his hands on his knees, and said breathlessly:

"Because the brochure said that you could eat more than 100 kinds of food during the competition, I wanted to go and see what they were."

Ronan handed Cornell the water in his hand, genuinely afraid he might collapse at any moment.
"Then you can just go and take a look. Why bother participating?"

Do you also carry enormous pressure on your shoulders?

Cornell picked up the water and gulped it down in one go:
“Looking and eating are different. I heard there are oysters too. I love oysters the most. I usually can’t afford to buy them, but the poster says you can eat as many as you want.”

Cornell didn't have a huge burden on his shoulders, but he had a huge stomach and a gluttonous nature.

The Lourmarin government had indeed found the Provençal people's 'Achilles' heel,' Ronan thought to himself.

"It's just for eating, no need to train, just run slowly." Ronan was worried that Cornell didn't want to interfere with Stella's work, so he came out to train during the lunch break. "Also, don't run at this time, it's too hot. Run with me in the morning from now on, or at other times is fine too. Special cases require special treatment, I can approve leave for you."

But the little fat boy's thought process was incredibly surprising:

"I specifically chose this time to train, wanting to practice my 'heat resistance'."

Given the large number of participants and the limited accommodation capacity in Lourmaran, most participants will arrive on the day of the competition.

With tens of thousands of people flooding into Lourmaran at the same time, the 'morning rush hour' must be terrifying, so the match will be held at 9 a.m. instead of in the early morning.

As a result, the runners would be exposed to the scorching sun after running for only a short while.

When Ronan saw the competition rules, he thought it would greatly help the contestants 'build' a relationship with the rosé, but Cornell actually thought of practicing 'heat tolerance,' which really opened Ronan's eyes.

Cornell, catching his breath, continued running:

"I'm not good at professional skills, so I have to find another way out in these details. Every person I surpass allows me to eat one more oyster. What if all the fresh ones are picked up when I fall behind? What if they're all eaten up? Goodbye Ronan, I have to keep working hard!"

Ronan stared at Cornell's retreating figure, unsure of what to say.

Is it really worth going to such lengths just to eat?

Lucas and Theo have been gone for some time, and Stella's 'quota system' has been gradually implemented, resulting in significant changes in the supply volume from different channels.

Worried that Cornell might be too dizzy from running around at noon and affect his work performance in the afternoon, Ronan made a special trip to the Stellar Wine Cellar on the hillside in the afternoon to check if there were any errors in the numbers on the packing list.

The packing list turned out to be fine, and Cornell was in good condition, even carrying boxes more efficiently than Ronan.

"Don't worry about me. You're not the only one who exercises every day. I exercise every day too. It's just that we exercise in different ways. Besides, I've been exercising for more than ten years longer than you."

Ronan chuckled and patted the barrel:
"It's my fault, I forgot you came from a farming background."

Honestly, what is he worried about?
Cornell's physical condition is even better than his!
After checking the supply order, Ronan left the cellar to get his car. He saw a tractor in the distance on the north slope farmland and asked Cornell:

"Whose tractor is that? It's not Henry's old one, nor is it the new one I bought."

How did other people's machines appear on his ground?
Cornell didn't recognize him from afar, nor up close, and scratched his head, saying:
“I didn’t even notice until you pointed it out. Whose tractor is this? When did it appear here? Wait a minute, I’ll go call Henry and ask.”

Henry managed all of Ronan's farmland, so he must know what was going on.

A short while later, Cornell ran back and told Ronan that Henry on the phone didn't know whose tractor it was either, and that he was coming over right away.

Ronan and Cornell sat in the car together waiting for Henry.

But he waited and waited, and after nearly 30 minutes he still didn't see Henry.

It should be noted that Henry arrived in less than 15 minutes in his tractor, which was older than his grandfather.

Why has it taken so long?
Cornell was about to call Henry's house again to ask about the situation when a messy 'bird's nest' appeared down the mountain.

The 'bird's nest' magnified infinitely, and then magnified again, transforming into a large, living person appearing near the mountaintop.

Cornell called down the mountain in a teasing tone:
"Henry, so this is your hairstyle! I thought your captain's hat was welded to your head. Why did you take it off today?"

Upon seeing Ronan's car, Henry, covered in sweat, looked up at Cornell and roared:
"Damn it, why didn't you tell me Mr. Ronan was here too? Wasn't that wasting his precious time?"

"What do you mean? Doesn't my time count?" Cornell opened the car door and got out, angrily asking, "You know you've wasted time? We've been waiting for you for half an hour!"

Henry ran to Ronan's car, stood at attention nervously, and explained to Ronan:

"I'm sorry, Mr. Ronan, I'm preparing for a marathon, so... so I chose to run here." Ronan had just been enjoying watching Henry and Cornell bickering.

Theo hasn't been in Lourmarin lately, and it's been a while since anyone's been bickering with Henry. It feels so peaceful around me.

But if you mention marathon
Ronan asked in surprise:

"You've also signed up for a marathon? And why?"

Cornell had many siblings, and they had to fight over food, so it's understandable that he was attracted by the food.

Henry's family is currently in pretty good financial condition, they eat meat at every meal, and Henry doesn't have a strong appetite, so why did he sign up?
Henry grinned, revealing a set of uneven, yellow teeth:

"For that 20 franc prize! I heard all the competitors this time are amateurs, and I have the ability to win!!"

Blanco wanted to turn the marathon into a carnival for everyone, like a goat race, with no age, region, or profession restrictions, and no restrictions on clothing. He even encouraged people to wear outlandish costumes to have fun in Lourmaran, which attracted mostly local ordinary people.

“No,” Cornell corrected. “It’s not just amateurs who participate; there are also professional marathon runners who are invited by the government.”

This was the first time Ronan had heard this information, and he asked Cornell seriously:

"Really? A professional marathon runner is participating?"

Cornell nodded and said:

"Yes, Condina told me. You know she's a member of the organizing committee, there's no mistake."

Ronan rubbed his chin.

Like Henry, he also thought that since the participants were all amateurs, there was still a chance to gain some attention through their performance.

But with professional players participating, isn't it just wishful thinking to still hold onto this idea?
However, there were indeed people at the scene who were talking nonsense.

Upon hearing this devastating news, Henry immediately ran over to verify the tractor's identity and discovered that it belonged to the construction team building the St. Scotts factory.

After angrily berating the other party for parking the machine in such an inopportune spot and vowing to teach them a lesson if it happened again, Henry dashed down the hillside, heading towards the village of Lourmaran.

"Mr. Ronan, you guys drive off. I'm going to run back. I need to train harder and try to beat those professional athletes!"

Cornell laughed so hard he almost fell over on the mountaintop:

"Henry, are you crazy? You think you can outrun a professional athlete? I'll eat your ass!"

Henry, that old rascal, runs incredibly fast; he was almost at the foot of the mountain in no time.

"I've done farm work for 40 years, toiling for more than 8 hours a day under the scorching sun. How can those delicate people who spend most of their time lying on the sofa watching TV and only occasionally remember to go for a run compare? Humph, just wait and see, that 20 francs will definitely be mine. I'm going to buy Lisa an American car!"

The current state of Lourmarin is a microcosm of Provence.

Whenever Ronan walks along the country lanes, he is sure to see villagers jogging.

Each of them appeared to be putting on a brave face – their eyes were vacant, they were panting heavily, their faces were contorted, and they looked like they were ready to blow up the planet.

But two-thirds of those who have worked so hard to prepare will lose their right to compete in a few days – Lourmaran is conducting a professional screening, and the crucial results will be announced in a few days.

However, even with such a high probability of being eliminated, it did not dampen everyone's enthusiasm for preparing for the competition.

Everyone seemed confident that they could be the 'lucky one'.

Ronan's morning exercise routine has also become a 'group' activity.

When Ronan appears with a sheep and a dog, many villagers will open their doors to join them, but this time they will not just watch; they will follow Ronan to complete the entire race.

After several days of such group activities, Ronan was shocked to discover that the villagers' physical strength and endurance were frighteningly strong.

During this time, he ran 30 kilometers according to the training plan, and surprisingly, several farmers were able to keep up with him for the entire distance.

Keep in mind that they had only been preparing for a few days, while Ronan had been running for several months.

The attitude and confidence of Cornell and Henry, along with recent discoveries, led Ronan to abandon his plan to 'shine' at the Lourmaran Marathon through his performance.

He can't outrun professional athletes, and it's hard for him to beat amateur athletes either. The only thing he's sure of right now is that, through several months of hard work and recent training, he's capable of running the entire 42-kilometer race.

Everything else is unknown.

How can we gain exposure in this situation?

Who would care about a mediocre player in the competition?
Just because he's Ronan?
Sorry, by that time, the contestants and the audience were surrounded by absurd joy. Who is Ronan?

One night, Ronan lay in bed and told his wife Zoe about his thoughts.

“You need to find another angle,” Zoe analyzed seriously.

Ronan rolled over and lay on his side looking at Zoe:
"for example?"

Zoe knew nothing about sports and had no interest in such activities, so she couldn't offer Ronan much practical help.
"For example, things that can evoke emotions in Provençal people, like the original intention of the government in planning the marathon. You see, they make a fuss about this and attract so many people to participate, which shows that this logic works."

Ronan lay flat on his back, hands behind his head, talking to himself:

"I have to think about it."

Zoe reached out to touch the lamp:

"Go to sleep first, we'll think about it tomorrow."

The next second, Ronan kissed Zoe on the forehead, then rolled over and got up:

"You go to sleep first, I'll go out and think about it, and maybe practice a little more on the way."

Zoe sat up in disbelief, staring at Ronan who had already rushed to the door:

"Didn't you give up on winning through 'grades'? Why are you still practicing?"

Ronan's voice came from the dark staircase:

"We had no choice but to keep busy. Henry ran to Bonigno to buy groceries today, Boge was doing squats while weaving a chair, and Cornell carried Batty up 100 steps."

"It's too late. Take Marseille with you when you go out," Zoe called out worriedly.

“Okay!” Ronan replied loudly.

Zoe opened the window and saw Ronan leaving with Marseille. She breathed a sigh of relief, then rested her elbow on the windowsill and chuckled to herself, muttering:
"Your stamina is already so good; you've been exercising for two hours and you still have energy."

She yawned, closed the window, and lay back down, exhausted.

(End of this chapter)