1986: My Happy Life in Provence

Chapter 85 Unexpected Visitor

Ronan's stall was one of the first to open in the market, and also the last to close.

At 12 o'clock, when most tourists went to eat and other stall owners left, there were still scattered people in front of his stall.

The sweet and sour pork was sold out long ago, and the pink wine was the only thing keeping it going.

Fortunately, the "Mifael Guide" did not include a picture of Ronan. Luo Tianhai and Feng Zhen helped to fend off many tourists who wanted to take photos with them, otherwise they didn't know how busy they would be today.

After closing the stall, Ronan treated everyone to a luxurious lunch at Mena Village that was no less luxurious than yesterday's dinner.

Luo Tianhai paid the bill for his son on the pretext of "going to the bathroom".

Looking at the 517 francs on the bill, he fell into deep thought again.

This meal would cost a quarter of his salary in Paris.

At three o'clock in the afternoon, the family of three finally returned home.

Luo Tianhai touched Xiao Hei's head and muttered:
"Provence is becoming more and more 'charming'."

Ronan shook his arms and said:
"Take a rest. I'll take you to Bonnieux later and have dinner there tonight."

My parents came with great difficulty, and because there was traffic jam on the road, I took them to visit several nearby villages.

"No." Feng Zhen hurriedly stopped him, "You're too tired today, take a rest, don't go out today."

Ronan is actually in good condition.

But his parents might not be able to withstand such high intensity, after all, they had to get up at five in the morning, so he sat down and counted the money he earned that day.

Parents are not outsiders, and there is no need to carry things behind their backs.

"6762." Feng Zhen reported the number before Ronan.

She had counted the bill at Luo Tianhai and his friends' restaurant before. Ronan counted very slowly, so she followed him and calculated.

"The costs also need to be deducted." Ronan picked up the pen again.

Luo Tianhai held Xiao Hei on his lap with great difficulty:
“Is there a stall fee at the market?”

"The stall fee is 20 francs per meter, paid monthly. Zoe and I's stall is a total of 4 meters long. There are also 'cleaning fees' and 'security fees', 300 francs per quarter, and liability insurance, more than 100 francs a year, all of which are shared equally by Zoe and I." Ronan looked up.

These fees were paid when they first came to Mena Village to set up a stall.

It costs a lot to participate in the market in Luberon, which is a big burden for some stall owners. Therefore, the phenomenon of "sharing stalls" like Ronan and Zoe is very common.

"The cost is about 2800 francs." Luo Tianhai blurted out.

Luo Tianhai was the one who bought the meat and wine. Having worked in the catering industry, he was also experienced in estimating other miscellaneous expenses.

"The profit is about 4000." Feng Zhen calculated immediately, "Is the profit margin so high?"

"There will be no pork in the second half of today. All we're selling is rosé wine, which has a high profit margin," Ronan said to his parents.

Luo Tianhai looked at Ronan with a complicated expression:

“That’s not low.”

This guy is so good at making money?
If there is enough meat, one day's work can equal a month's work.
The old couple looked at each other.

Should I give him back the 4000 francs?

Why do I feel a little out of hand?
The parents took the initiative to talk about this topic, and Ronan lobbied again:
"As you can see, I was barely able to cope with so many people helping me today. I can't trouble Zoe, Vieri, and Leah every week, right? Zoe also has her stall to take care of. Would you consider coming to help me?"

Feng Zhen looked at Luo Tianhai.

She had no problem living in Provence and even agreed with both hands.

The prices here are cheap, the people are friendly, the scenery is beautiful, and my son is by my side.

The question now is what Luo Tianhai thinks.

Luo Tianhai calculated quickly in his head.

4000 francs a week, about 16000 francs a month, which was a lot, but not enough to make him make up his mind.

If he finds a suitable part-time job in Paris, plus his original salary, he could earn 7 to 8 francs a month. Adding Feng Zhen's share, it seems to be about the same, right?
It’s just that prices in Provence are cheaper and life is more comfortable.

But now is not the time to enjoy.

Luo Tianhai glanced at his wife:

"Let's go back to Paris and work hard for a few more years, and then we'll definitely come back."

Ronan lobbied for several more rounds, but Luo Tianhai still did not change his mind and asked him to hire a helper first.

"Hey, take your time." Ronan had no choice but to give up.

Luo Tianhai was going to make some home-cooked dishes in the evening. The three of them rested for a while and then gathered in the kitchen again.

Just as he was about to fry the first dish, someone knocked on Ronan's door.

People in Provence do not visit other people's homes before or after dinner unless they have agreed in advance to eat together.

Ronan's first reaction was that those friends who had no sense of propriety as Pierre and Theo mentioned had come to visit!

"Is there really such a person?"

Ronan cursed as he went to open the door, while organizing the words of "refusal".

But when I opened the door, it turned out to be an acquaintance.

No, it should be said that not all of them are acquaintances.

Standing outside the door were Carl and a strange man Ronan had never seen before.

The man looked to be in his fifties, with skin that was white and tender, unlike the people in Provence, and a neatly groomed beard.

The first time Ronan saw him, he thought of his college teacher.

Carl took off his hat and said apologetically:
"I understand this is a terrible time to visit, but tomorrow is Easter, an even worse date to visit. So Ronan, could you spare me a few minutes of your time?"

The parents, who lived in Paris, did not understand how sacred dinner time was in Provence, and invited the two gentlemen into the house before Ronan.

Carl pointed to another person traveling with him and said:
"Allow me to introduce you to Blanc, the mayor of Lourmarin."

Blanco held out his hand:

"Hello Ronan, I've heard your name many times, but unfortunately I only saw it for the first time today."

Luo Tianhai and Feng Zhen were both shocked.

The former village chief and the current village chief came together?
They didn't know whether to be happy or worried.

Ronan asked unexpectedly:

"Is there a problem?"

He couldn't think of anything about himself that would make the former and current village chiefs give up their precious time to enjoy dinner with their families.

Blanco tapped Ronan's mother's face three times:
"Congratulations on causing quite a stir at the market today. Did your sales do well?"

Blanco's words caused Ronan to fall into a brief embarrassment.

The villagers living in Lourmarin Village abandoned the market in their own village. Going to the market in the neighboring village was not a "glorious" thing, especially if the village chief found out and took the initiative to talk to you about it.

But this matter isn't serious enough for me to come and question him personally, right?

Many people are like this.

After Blanco and Luo Tianhai shook hands, he realized that he had made a mistake:
"I'm sorry to interrupt your reunion time, but there is something urgent."

He took out an envelope from his pocket and handed it to Ronan with both hands. His kind and friendly smile soothed Ronan's tense mood:
"On behalf of the Lourmarin Village Government, Lourmarin Village Tourism Center, and Lourmarin Village Market Management Center, I would like to invite you, Mr. Ronan. Are you willing to participate in the special market of Lourmarin Village?"

(End of this chapter)