1986: My Happy Life in Provence

Chapter 571 The demons dance wildly
The only thing that could be described as "outlandish" in the Ronan family was the equestrian outfit they wore when participating in the goat race.

If this outfit doesn't count, he can only join the amateur group of 'outlandish costume' enthusiasts by wearing Zoe's women's clothing while running.

Zoe confidently assured him that with Ronan's figure and looks, wearing women's clothing would definitely be a sight to behold and would achieve twice the result with half the effort. However, Ronan declined Zoe's offer, citing that the 'women's clothing' was too tight and would affect his performance in the game.

At 10 p.m., the lights in Ronan's house were still on.

Ronan absolutely refused to wear women's clothing, and his equestrian outfit was already familiar to many people, but it didn't quite meet the standard of 'outlandish attire'. With time running out, Zoe decided to use the equestrian outfit as a base and make some modifications.

Before getting married, Zoe hadn't done much needlework, but being proficient in many handicrafts, she could handle needles and thread quite well.

She first altered the black riding breeches into wide-leg capri pants, folding up the excess fabric to create a 'lantern' shape, thus freeing Ronan's legs from restriction, though it looked a bit comical.

The beige stand-up collar shirt she was wearing was too formal, so after referring to the clothing sizes of several marathon runners, Zoe boldly cut several slits in the shirt, claiming it was for breathability.

Ronan changed into his new clothes, looked at himself in the mirror, and exclaimed in amazement:
"If I paint my face white, I can go straight to a Halloween party."

“Actually, my design theme is: a fallen medieval prince, but—” Zoe thought Ronan had made a good suggestion, and went to the dressing table to find brushes and foundation. “Your direction is also good. Let me apply it for you and see the effect.”

"Oh, no need, no need, thank you darling." Ronan backed away repeatedly. "I think that's enough. Thank you for your hard work."

He really didn't want to run a marathon dressed like this unless absolutely necessary.

Zoe shook her head in strong dissatisfaction:
“You know what? Although you always identify as a ‘Provençal person,’ you are still far from being a real Provençal person. You are too shy and reserved, not bold and open enough. Since you designed the costume, why not add more styling? If I participated, I would run a marathon in a wedding dress and high heels, but with my face and body covered in blood. That would be so cool, wouldn’t it? I believe that all Provençal people have the same mentality.”

Ronan smiled and kissed Zoe on the forehead:

"If Lourmaran hosts a marathon again next year and you sign up, we'll put on a grand 'zombie wedding' show."

During the hour that Zoe brainstormed with Ronan about how to 'dress up strangely', she 'designed' several outfits for herself.

Her interest had already been piqued.

But who wants to run a marathon?

As Zoe packed her things, she suggested:

"Last year's Halloween event at the restaurant seemed quite successful? How about we hold it again this year? I'll dress up as a waiter this time too."

Last year, the Halloween event held at Ronan Chinese Restaurant was a huge success. The entire Lourmaran was like a Halloween theme park, with restaurant staff and Lourmaran villagers dressed up as 'NPCs'.

Ronan thought for a moment, then nodded and said:
"Sure, but there's still some time before Halloween, so there's no rush."

Lourmaran is seeing a surge in visitors this year, and with all the shops on the main street set to open for business around Halloween, the capacity could be several times that of last year.

As Ronan was thinking these things, a black riding hat appeared on his head, the one that originally matched his outfit.

The only difference was a small red ball, about the size of a ping-pong ball, at the top of the hat—Marseille's favorite toy.

Zoe adjusted the elastic band securing the toy, looking it over from all angles:

"This is the only way we can make it for now. If anyone asks tomorrow, please don't say that I designed it."

The 'fallen prince' looked a bit more lively and playful in the hat with the red ball on top. It was handmade by Zoe, and Ronan would be very happy wearing it no matter what it looked like.

"So beautiful!" Ronan smiled like a silly boy in the mirror.

Zoe tiptoed and kissed Ronan on the cheek:
"Lady Luck secretly told me—your wish will definitely come true tomorrow."

On match day, Ronan doesn't need to do morning training anymore and plans to sleep in before getting up.

But just after six o'clock, he and Zoe were awakened by the rumbling of car horns in the distance.

Keep in mind that they live in the 'suburbs' of Lourmaran, several hundred meters away from the core densely populated area!
The two groggily got up, opened the curtains and looked outside. They saw cars moving slowly like a long dragon on the road far, far away. Occasionally, figures moved quickly on the road, seemingly trying to ease the traffic congestion. However, some impatient drivers couldn't control themselves and kept pressing the horn button.

"We'll be stuck in traffic in three hours before the game," Zoe yawned. "I'll go make you breakfast."

After yawning, Ronan turned around and saw that he had already left the bedroom and entered the bathroom.

Ronan's excited voice came from the bathroom:
“These people are here so early, they must have nowhere to go. The restaurant and the textile yard can open early today, so you don’t need to prepare breakfast, darling. Let’s go to the restaurant to eat.”

Zoe paused for a few seconds, then snapped out of it, smiling as she opened the closet to prepare her clothes for the day:
"He's a natural at doing business."

If the suburbs are already so noisy, then the village of Lourmaran is even more bustling.

Luo Nan and his wife, along with Luo Tianhai and Feng Zhen, who were also woken up, opened the restaurant door in advance and started a temporary 'breakfast stall'.

With limited manpower and ingredients, and without prior preparation, they could only supply a few simple items, but even so, the entrance was almost trampled by people.

Many people, finding themselves waiting in line with no seats and unable to quickly pack their food to take away, could only leave disappointed.

Seeing those who turned and left, Ronan secretly vowed that he must make preparations well in advance before holding the next event, because that all cost money.

Ronan still had a marathon to run later, and although there weren't enough people, everyone stopped him from continuing to help.

Ronan was worried about leaving so early, so he found a spot and quietly observed the people eating breakfast.

He saw a dark-skinned, thin man with a goatee who finished a pancake in two bites, while there were four more of the same pancakes in front of him.

I saw a young man in a naval uniform who ate ten fried eggs in a row, and he still didn't seem to be stopping.

I also saw several athletes who had already changed into their race gear. After breakfast, they sat together and discussed the Versailles topic: "My condition isn't particularly good this year, and it will be difficult for me to finish the race in under 3 hours."

Looking at the diverse group of people in front of him, Ronan rested his chin on his hand and fell into deep thought.

These people all seemed far beyond the capabilities of an amateur runner like him who had only been running for a few months.

What are some ways to attract the attention of Provençal people?
Will he really get what he wants today?
Eight in the morning.

Cars were still lined up one after another to enter Lourmaran, with no gaps between them, and the traffic situation had been like this for the past two hours.

Clearly, some of the marathon runners were still stuck in traffic, anxiously honking their horns.

But for the people of Lourmaran, a day begins around 8 a.m.

Shortly after the Chinese restaurant in Ronan opened, some shops on the food street also opened one after another.

The people of Lourmaran had never seen such a 'noisy' day before. It seemed as if all the tourists of the week had been squeezed into one day. Since they were already awakened by the noise, they opened their shops and decided to join in the fun.

At 8:30, Ronan, worried about traffic congestion on foot, changed into his race uniform and went to the starting point early to prepare, only to find that all the shops on the commercial street were open for business.

At 8:30 a.m., Lourmaran was showing a look that was usually only seen at noon.

This isn't even the most 'amazing' thing that happened today.

Even more amazingly, the village was filled with all sorts of 'weirdos'.

To be honest, Ronan was really embarrassed wearing the 'Lonely Prince' outfit, and he walked with his head down. But when he accidentally looked up—oh ho!

An old man with brightly colored wigs, a man in a ballet tutu, an old woman in a priest's robe, and a child dressed as a criminal—with a red nose, black eyes, and a green mouth—he was surrounded by an 'army of monsters'!

"I told you your outfit was too 'normal'." Zoe's regretful sigh could be heard hundreds of meters away.

There's a quote Ronan hasn't said in a long time, but today he couldn't help bringing it up again:

"The Mad Provençal!"

Ronan strolled along the shopping street as if watching a movie, and still saw some normal people wearing running shorts and vests.

“Look, there are plenty of normal people,” Ronan said to Zoe.

Zoe was in an extremely excited state.

If there were a temporary registration booth right now, Ronan guessed that she would impulsively sign up for the marathon just to wear 'outlandish clothes'!
She looked left and right curiously, as if deciding who should receive today's 'Best Outfit' award:

"Impossible, absolutely impossible. These people just haven't had time to change yet. Let me put it this way, as long as they're from Provence, seeing this kind of atmosphere will awaken their blood. Even professional athletes are no exception. I swear, once the competition officially starts, there won't be more than 50 people still wearing shorts and tank tops. No, 30!"

The race starts in front of Lourmaran Castle, the most iconic location in this medieval village.

When they got to this area, Ronan completely believed Zoe's judgment.

The road was packed with strangely shaped people, making the runway look like a dizzying kaleidoscope.

A man dressed as a peach stands on one leg, kicking his leg as he talks to his 'apple' friend.

A man even more muscular than Cafu squeezed himself into a nurse's uniform, his chest hair blooming like flowers on his chest.

There was also a guy wearing glasses showing off his Minnie Mouse T-back to a guy next to him, who was either a friend or a stranger. The guy being shown the T-back flashed a set of bright white teeth.

Ronan found only three normal people near the starting line. The first person was wearing his vest inside out; the second person had a huge chest outline drawn on his white T-shirt, with a handprint in the paint that hadn't dried; and the third person was wearing shorts and a vest properly, but had a blue sock over his head.

"That's a nice hat." The player in the blue sock hat brushed past Ronan, looking incredibly envious.

“Thank you, my wife made it.” Ronan nodded to him.

"Do you regret it?" Zoe asked seriously.

You have the most creative artist and the most imaginative fashion designer in all of Provence by your side, and you, Ronan! have missed a golden opportunity to win people over with your looks!

Ronan said with a smile:
"No regrets, no regrets, it's not too late."

“They’re firing the guns right away, there’s no time to do anything else,” Zoe asked, tilting her head.

Ronan's eyes darted quickly through the crowd, and soon he grabbed Zoe's hand and rushed towards a group of people:
"It's really not too late, really!"

“Sylvie!” he shouted.

Zoe thought Ronan meant "there's still time" when he said "it's not too late" to finalize their look before the game, but after they struggled through the crowd, Ronan and Sylvie started talking about something else.

Today, the entire government of Lourmaran has mobilized, along with more than 300 volunteers, to ensure the smooth running of the competition.

"I heard you opened the store at 6 a.m.? You're so wise! Although it's only the beginning of the day, the foot traffic is even more encouraging than we expected. Maybe 4 people will arrive in Lourmaran today!"

She happily swayed her shoulders, as if dancing a self-composed dance:

"It's proven that we must hold events! A lot of events! Look at all these people around us, they all love this atmosphere. We'll work hard to attract even more people to the event next year, and we'll try our best to plan fun things every month!"

“Yes, the event is very important, so could you allow me to put up a sign at the finish line to announce the event?”

The surroundings were too chaotic, so Ronan could only shout, "The happy journey of 42.195 kilometers begins at 0 meters."

"Event? What event?" Sylvie shouted as well.

People around him spontaneously started singing, and Ronan could only shout at the top of his lungs:

"Halloween! I want to announce the Halloween 'masquerade ball'. Just like today, everyone can wear 'strange costumes' and have fun from day to night. Today is a 'happy journey of 42.195 kilometers,' and Halloween is a 'crazy journey of 24 hours'!"

Zoe, who was standing nearby, was stunned.

The anger that Ronan had been holding in because he missed a 'golden opportunity' dissipated, and he even couldn't help but laugh out loud.

She leaned on her husband's arm, her face full of adoration as he explained to Sylvie what the '24-hour crazy trip' was all about.

"What's the use of being bold and open-minded? My husband can make money! He's a genius at making money!"

After 'negotiating' with Sylvie for twenty minutes, Ronan finally joined the crowd at 9:30.

This morning was long, but very rewarding.

Perhaps because of his new idea, Ronan was so excited that his adrenaline surged. He was confident that he could run 60 kilometers, let alone 42.195 kilometers.

And the thought of the starting gun ceremony later on made Ronan even more eager to run out!

At 9:30 a.m. sharp, all the contestants gathered in front of Lourmaran Castle.

Blanco didn't offer any grand pronouncements; after wishing everyone good results, he lit the fuse to put the oak barrel in.

As the starting gun fired, the corks of several oak barrels shot into the sky, and pressurized pink 'ribbons' shot straight up. A few seconds later, they fell over the heads of each runner, forming a delicious pink 'rain'.

"It's spraying pink wine?!"

"This is the first time I've seen someone spray wine at the starting line! This place is crazy, I love it! Make way, everyone make way, I'm going to be first!!"

"More, more, it's not enough, it's not enough to drink!!"

More than 5000 'monsters' pushed and shoved each other onto the path.

Some waved, some sang, and others shouted to their friends on both sides as they embarked on this joyful journey of 42.195 kilometers!
Ronan skipped past his parents, Zoe, and friends, greeting them with a few funny expressions, a stark contrast to his usual self.

"Go Ronan! Go Ronan!"

"We'll be waiting for you at the finish line, son!"

"Don't get hurt!!"

While everyone's attention was focused on Ronan, Marseille, who had come along to cheer on her father Ronan, tilted her head in confusion.

Why did Dad go running by himself today without me?

And my ball is right there.

After a brief moment of hesitation, Marseille left his family and transformed into a gray shadow, rushing off in the direction Ronan had gone!
(End of this chapter)