1986: My Happy Life in Provence

Chapter 60 New Life
In March, nature gives everyone who loves it a shot of stimulant.

When you walk out of the house and go outdoors, you will find that the flowers are ready to compete with each other for beauty.

The nights grow shorter, the days grow longer, and everything grows.

As the temperature rises, so does people's enthusiasm for going out.

After staying at home for a whole winter, it's time to come out and bask in the warm sunshine in the morning.

In addition to the obvious increase in traffic, the market appearance of Mena Village has also undergone tremendous changes.

The fishing gear, hunting gear and winter crops originally displayed on the stalls have been replaced by various farm tools. The number of vendors selling flowers has increased significantly, and you can see a gorgeous sea of flowers every few steps. There are more varieties of vegetables, and the tables selling snow boots also have light canvas shoes suitable for spring and summer.

After a few months, cafes and restaurants once again put their tables and chairs outside on the road, and these territories that had briefly left the embrace of their "mother" finally returned to the territory.

"Lucas? Why are you here so early? Do you want to come in for a drink?"

A qualified farmer would not just hang out in the taverns in his own village. The owners of the three taverns in Mena Village all regarded Lucas as a high-quality customer who was both generous and had a high alcohol tolerance.

"No." Lucas pointed in a direction, "I'm here to find someone."

"Haha, could it be a beautiful lady?" The boss whistled and smiled in a gossipy manner.

There must be countless ladies willing to open their arms to this rich guy, and rich men are also accustomed to having affairs with women from other villages.

Lucas shook his head.
"No."

When Lucas heard that Ronan was going to sell food at the market, his first reaction was that he was crazy.

I've told him so much, why does he insist on doing it his own way?
Later, he calmed down and thought that Ronan was exactly the same as him. Countless people advised him that "artificially cultivating truffles" was a gamble, but he just wanted to give it a try.

No wonder he cares so much about this kid. It turns out he has the same temper as him.

But the more this happened, the more urgent and intense Lucas' desire for Laronan to join the gang became.

He once regretted that he had been too "kind" to Ronan before. He should have pounced on Ronan like a lion and told him directly:

“You have to get into the truffle business with me!”

Just like he taught Theo and Elena a lesson.

But there is still time for all this.

The best opportunity to win over Ronan has emerged.

When Ronan was frustrated and self-pitying at the market due to poor business, he showed up in time and told Ronan:

"Life is never smooth sailing. When big waves appear, the best choice is to find a big ship and hide behind it. I am willing to be the big ship that protects you from the wind and rain. Come with me, brother, I will protect you."

Afterwards, I would drink with him until we were drunk and talk about our ideals in life.

When the sun rises again, their relationship will be closer than that of brothers!

Lucas had been to Ronan's stall and found it quickly.

There was a line of five people in front of Ronan's stall, all ladies and children.

The children surrounding Ronan chattered non-stop.

"What is this?" asked a little girl with missing front teeth.

"It's called sweet and sour pork, a Chinese delicacy." Ronan said patiently.

"I smell a sour and sweet taste. Does it taste like candied fruit?" the little girl continued to ask.

In 1986, there were already a lot of snacks, including ice cream, chocolate, chewing gum and fruit candies of various flavors. However, many parents still only allowed their children to eat the traditional French dessert - frosted fruit, because it did not contain additives.

This leads to a considerable number of children still thinking that the most delicious thing in the world is frosted fruit when they are 10 years old.

Ronan picked up two small pieces of sweet and sour pork with a toothpick and gently handed them to her:

"You eat one piece and give the other to your mother."

In less than a minute, the little girl stood at the end of the line, led by her mother.
There are six people in line now.

Lucas crossed his arms across his chest, a thoughtful look on his bronze face.

He came with great confidence, but what he saw was not quite what he had imagined.

There was actually a queue of people in front of Ronan's stall.

But having customers does not mean making money.

He decided to observe for a while and calculate how much Ronan could earn this morning. There was a coffee shop diagonally in front of the stall. Lucas found a seat in the open air and ordered a cup of coffee.

He didn't know what Ronan was selling. He only saw that the price of "Pot-fried Pork" on the sign was 32 francs. In addition, they also sold pink wine at 6 francs per glass.

Can you make money by selling so cheaply?

Lucas muttered inwardly, not taking his eyes off the stall, but observing it carefully.

He saw Ronan put a large bowl of meat wrapped in flour into the hot oil pan, took them out after about three minutes, then put them into the pan again and fried them again, but this time for a shorter time.

After taking them out this time, Ronan put them in another pot, "thrown" a bunch of seasonings he didn't know what they were, then divided them into four portions and handed them to the waiting people one by one.

"One pot can make four servings?" Lucas quickly calculated, "128 francs."

He chuckled and shook his head, drinking half a cup of coffee in one gulp.

This amount of money is not as valuable as a piece of truffle residue.

I don't know what this kid is doing.
But he soon realized a problem - Ronan seemed to have only taken a dozen minutes to make this pot.

He put down the coffee cup and looked at the expensive watch on his wrist.

Ronan started to cook a new pot of food, and Lucas planned to time it carefully.

10 minute later.

Lucas frowned and looked away.

Each round lasts 10 minutes, which includes time for cordial communication with guests, friendly interaction with children, packaging food, and resting for water.

If these are not taken into account, the time can be shortened.

Then his hourly income can reach -

"At least 768 francs?" Lucas leaned back in his chair with a serious expression and said to himself, "No, there is also the income from the pink wine."

About half of the ladies would buy another glass of rosé before leaving, drinking while eating.

"800 francs an hour." Lucas narrowed his eyes.

There are always three to five people queuing in front of Ronan's stall. Doesn't that mean he can make two to three thousand yuan in the morning?

This is no small amount.

Many farmers can only earn this much after working hard for a month.

This is just one day, if he sets up the stall two, three, four times a week.
Lucas looked more serious than ever before.

He realized that there was no need to fight for anything anymore. Ronan had found a great new livelihood.

Ronan has infinite possibilities, unlike himself, who has been around Truffles all his life and cannot take a single step without them.

"A serving of sweet and sour pork and a glass of pink wine." A male voice appeared.

Ronan, who was busy, looked up in surprise.

Finally a male customer?
"Lucas?" His smile froze on his face.

Lucas seemed to sniff:
"tasty."

Ronan skillfully divided the sweet and sour pork into portions and handed them to Lucas:
"Be careful of the burn."

Lucas picked up a piece with a toothpick and put it in his mouth, chewing it for a few times:

“Although it’s not as delicious as truffles, it’s quite unique.”

"Are you here to do business?" Ronan poured him a glass of pink wine.

Lucas took a sip of wine and shook his head:
"Find someone."

"Found it?" Ronan asked.

Lucas did not answer the question, put 100 francs in front of Ronan, and then left in style:

"Good job."

Now that you and I have both found new challenges, let's see who can go further.

　Thanks to [吃好好好], [攀山农_昆伦], [大奇23333], [胡须乱], [咸鱼土豆红烧肉], [强走药G], [叮叮糖] for their monthly ticket support, and also thanks to all the friends who voted for the recommendation. Thank you all~

　　
　
(End of this chapter)