1986: My Happy Life in Provence

Chapter 78: Beautiful Lourmarin

The scenery outside the car window changed from city scenery to farmland and forest, but Luo Tianhai still felt like he was dreaming.

"What kind of friend can lend you such a nice car?" He held the steering wheel with one hand and put his left hand on the car window, feeling at least 20 years younger.

Ronan ate the Chinese snacks "gold coin chocolate" and "fig shreds" that his mother brought from Paris, and said vaguely:

"My friend from the same village is in the truffle business and he has a lot of cars."

"Why would they lend you the car?" Feng Zhen leaned her head to the front seat. She had always been worried that Ronan had made some bad friends.

"I relied on my extraordinary personal charm to convince your son, and he was willing to be nice to me." Ronan said shamelessly.

Feng Zhen became even more nervous:

"Does he have any plans for you?"

"Yeah, a little bit." Ronan nodded.

"That's not okay, we can't do that!" Feng Zhen nervously grabbed the front seat.

Luo Tianhai & Luo Nan: What are you thinking about?
"People are impressed by my abilities and want me to help." Ronan looked out the window.

I drove alone when I came here. The journey was particularly long and it always felt like it would take a long time.

On the way back, the three of us were together, chatting and laughing, and we were almost at our destination.

You still have to find a way to be with your family.

"Oh oh oh, so that's it." Feng Zhen finally retreated quietly.

I feel relieved that there is no messing around.

"Your friend is so rich, it shouldn't be too bad to work with him, why don't you go?" Luo Tianhai, wearing Ronan's sunglasses, turned his head and asked in confusion.

"I'm fine now. I don't have to follow others." Ronan curled his lips.

"Relying on selling things at the market once a week?" Driving Ronan's friend's car, Luo Tianhai really felt embarrassed to give Ronan a bad look.

Thinking of how he couldn't wait to take the car keys just now, he felt embarrassed.

But in the eyes of traditional Chinese families, selling things at the market is not a stable job, and going to the market only once a week is even more unstable, and it is not even a job.

Luo Tianhai thought from the bottom of his heart that Ronan was a "vagrant".

Wouldn’t it be embarrassing if you tell others about it later?

“We sell sweet and sour pork and local specialty rosé wine.” Ronan said with great pride.

"Are you planning to keep doing this?" Luo Tianhai tried to keep his tone calm and kind, but in fact he was already beginning to worry about his son.

Ronan thought about it and answered seriously:

"We will continue to sell until at least September, and we'll see how things go after September."

He will definitely continue to dig truffles after September, and whether he will run the food stall depends on the situation.

Although he felt sad to give up the accumulated customers and reputation, he had limited energy.

"I still have to find a stable job. The pressure of mortgage is so great. When will I be able to pay off the loan if I go hungry?" Luo Tianhai frowned unnaturally.

He was worried about Ronan.

After Easter, he planned to find a part-time job to see if he could pay off the boy's debt earlier.

"Son, you really shouldn't have bought this house. It's so stressful, and it's so far away from us." Feng Zhen asked cautiously, "Can you sell your shabby house now? Sell it even if you have to pay a small loss. Let's go back to Paris."

Ronan almost choked:

"A shabby house? Mom, that's a real farmhouse!"

Feng Zhen curled her lips and shook her head:
"What kind of house can you buy with 20 yuan? It's leaky everywhere, right?"

Since the 70s, housing prices in Paris have been more than twice as high as those in other cities such as Nice and Bordeaux.

Feng Zhen didn't dare say anything too harsh. The house that Ronan bought in Provence for 20 francs was probably not much different from a "big warehouse".

"Hey - donkey!" Feng Zhen stopped complaining and pointed out the window and shouted excitedly, "Although Provence is a bit remote, the scenery is really nice."

Where in Paris can I see this?
Ronan said as if nothing had happened:
"Many of my friends in the village raise donkeys. My family also has a donkey shed, but it is now used for other purposes."

Feng Zhen's lips curled even wider, and she muttered softly:
"You live in the donkey shed now."

Starting from Avignon at 3 o'clock, the three of them returned to the village of Lourmarin before sunset.

This is exactly the most charming time of the day in this small village in the valley.

As the setting sun shines on the houses, the gift of history is vividly presented before people and endowed with new colors.

"This is where I live, Lourmarin Village." Ronan introduced while looking out the window. There were few cars on the road, but Luo Tianhai kept the speed under 20 miles per hour. He was reluctant to leave and couldn't miss it!
"Son, this place you live in looks really nice." Feng Zhen stuck her head out of the car window, "It's like a world in a painting."

Ronan deliberately drove in from the other side of the village so that his parents could see the scenery first.

Ronan pointed to the side away from the village:
"That's the Château de Lourmarin, built in the fifteenth century."

"Lao Luo, drive over and take a look!" Feng Zhen pointed there excitedly.

She hasn't traveled since she had Ronan.

I didn't expect that I could travel while visiting my son.

In fact, she wanted to stop and take a look at many places she saw along the way.

"Okay." Luo Tianhai agreed readily. He had wanted to go down and take a look for a long time.

"Don't go over there." Ronan pointed at the entrance of the village and said, "There's nothing to see there. It's shabby."

"Can ancient monuments have new ones? Aren't you too disrespectful to history?" Luo Tianhai turned the steering wheel forcefully.

Ronan said anxiously:
"The buildings in the village are all from the 13th century. Who wants to see the 15th century ones?"

Luo Tianhai & Feng Zhen: ???
After entering Lourmarin, the only sounds in the car were Ronan's introduction and the occasional gasp.

Even Feng Zhen, who was always busy with her mouth, stopped talking. Mainly because she kept her mouth open but couldn't say a word.

"That's where I bought my bread. It seems to be a 14th century building. The owner said so but I forgot."

"That's the village pub. There's a 13th-century sculpture at the door. It's very well preserved, but I don't drink much, so I've never seen it."

"At noon, there are always old people coming to this fountain to enjoy the cool air." Ronan pondered over when the fountain was built.

"1504." Luo Tianhai said with forced calmness.

As he passed by, he saw the introduction next to it.

"This village is so beautiful, so beautiful. So beautiful." Feng Zhen couldn't find any other adjectives and could only repeat it over and over again.

"Each door is also very distinctive." Luo Tianhai discovered another point worth discussing.

"That's right, that's right, they all look great!" Feng Zhen echoed.

"People in our village attach great importance to the beautification of doors and windows. They think it is more important than interior decoration. If it is not done well, they will lose face." Ronan said with a smile.

He has also been to many villages in Luberon.

Lourmarin is definitely a village that pays the most attention to the exterior of its houses.

"Where is the front door of your house?" Feng Zhen became worried.

Does Ronan have the money to do house landscaping?

He won't lose face, will he?

Ronan smiled and pointed in a direction:
"Let's walk slowly tomorrow and go home first."

The old couple had prepared themselves mentally for their son to live in a "donkey shed" in the picturesque medieval village.

As they stood with their suitcases in front of a two-story yellow stone house with a large vineyard in front and a spacious backyard in the back, which was as beautiful as any other house in the village, they all had the same idea.

"Is this house also lent to you by a friend?"

This beautiful house only cost 20 francs?
"Come in!" Ronan opened the door. "Have you watched too many movies?"

"Your father and I have seen all kinds of storms. No matter how poorly you live, we won't despise you. Stop playing and take us home." Feng Zhen didn't dare to enter.

Luo Tianhai sighed silently.

It's not rented, is it?

The economy is bad enough, why waste money?
At this time, a middle-aged man wearing a dark yellow "captain's hat", with a scary look and an even scarier smile, walked out from the backyard.

The old couple glared at Ronan at the same time.

Do you see the owner is here?
Still acting!

"Mr. Ronan, I have cleaned the backyard and watered the flowers. I wish you and your parents a happy Easter!" Henry took off his hat and leaned forward politely.

Luo Tianhai and Feng Zhen's expressions changed from anger to deep-seated shock.

Is this really Ronan's house?

So who is this person?
Could it be his 'servant'?

(End of this chapter)