1986: My Happy Life in Provence

Chapter 86 Story
Ronan didn't dare to answer, pointing at the sofa and said:
"Shall we sit down and talk?"

Blanco looked at Carl for help.

Carl comforted him with his eyes, sat down, touched the new crutch and said to Ronan:
"In order not to delay your reunion with your parents, I will be frank. Lourmarin Village is not as well-known or commercially advanced as the Golden Triangle. This is a problem I was eager to solve when I became the village chief."

"You know, Lourmarin is located in a plain area. It doesn't have beautiful mountain scenery like other bird's nest villages. The village doesn't have its own winery, so it's hard to attract businessmen to invest here. We only have simple villagers and local customs that are not inferior to those of other villages."

He looked at Blanco:

"But it's not enough. We are having trouble attracting even our own villagers."

Blanco sighed in self-blame:

"This situation has become more serious since I took office. Compared with the market in Lourmarin, villagers prefer to sell things in larger markets, which creates a vicious cycle. The market culture of Luberon is a very important means to attract tourists. Without special products, tourists will not come. If tourists do not come to Lourmarin, villagers will go to other villages to sell their goods."

He laughed at himself:
"At the beginning of the year, the Vaucluse Tourism Bureau made a statistical data. The total number of tourists in Lourmarin last year was one eighth of that in Mena, one tenth of that in Gordes, and one fifth of that in Bonnieux. The scale of the market is the lowest in the entire Luberon region. I can only ask Karl and his team for help. Lourmarin must be 'revitalized'."

Carl took over Blanco's words:

"In the past three years, Vaucluse has made great efforts in tourism, and many outstanding industries and villages have received financial support to help them upgrade their supporting facilities. If Lourmarin does not change its status quo, it will be 'abandoned' after this upgrade."

Luo Tianhai and Feng Zhen's hearts ached when they heard this.

How could such a huge crisis be hidden beneath the surface of such a beautiful village?
But Ronan's expression didn't change at all, and he was even in the mood to pour pink wine for Carl and Blanco.

In the future, Lourmarin will be one of the "most beautiful towns in France" with commercial value comparable to that of Meynat Village.

Ronan didn't know what had happened, but it was obvious that it had not fallen behind in this "major upgrade" and might have even gained a lot of benefits.

and many more.

Can I take advantage of these benefits?

Seeing that Ronan remained silent, Blanco brought the topic back to the purpose of the trip:

"You are listed in the Mifar Guide and are sought after by many tourists. I heard that your stall was very popular today. After discussing with Carl and a few others, I hope you can continue your 'special features' to Lourmarin."

Ronan shrugged and said:
"The Mifal Guide only records me at the market in the village of Mena. Even if I come to Lourmarin, they don't know I'm here. And my 'speciality' is not a speciality now. Many people are selling rosé wine at the market this week."

If it was half a month ago, Ronan could indeed be called "special". He was the only one in the whole market who used "Provence's special pink wine" as a gimmick, but this week there were many people imitating him, and Ronan was already thinking about changing the "advertising slogan".

Carl took a sip of the icy pink liquid:
"Your 'feature' is not what you sell, but you as a person. Are there other yellow-skinned vendors selling things at the market?"

Ronan's flat hands:

"Not yet, but I think there will be soon."

Whenever a successful model emerges, there will be imitators.

Blanco also took a sip of the pink wine:

"But can that person cook sweet and sour pork? Can he cook Chinese food?"

Carl nodded to Blanco, who put down his glass and said sincerely:
"We want to 'package' you as a feature of Lourmarin, and tell tourists the story of a Chinese who grew up in Paris, was attracted by Lourmarin, decided to settle down here, learned the local culture, integrated into local life, discovered a 'special rosé wine' that the locals had never paid attention to, and did not forget to spread the story of Chinese cuisine."

The more Ronan listened, the more distorted his expression became, and a chill ran down his spine:

"Where? How?" Oh, God, you're not going to take me to give speeches all over the Luberon, are you?

Carl patted his cane:
"Using magazines and media, the Lourmarin village government, the tourism center and the market management center plan to spend some money to invite a few local magazines and media to come to Lourmarin to take a look and then have them report on it. There is more than just the Mifar Guide in Luberon. There are many kinds of travel guides."

Ronan's expression became more serious:

"what do I need to do?"

“You don’t need to do anything special, just come to the market.” Blanco added, “If there is a media interview, try to ‘bind’ Lourmarin to you, just like when the villagers mention you, they will immediately think of rosé wine.”

Ronan raised an eyebrow in surprise.

Is my bond with pink wine that deep?
What if the three things 'Ronan', 'pink wine' and 'Lourmarin' were tied together?

He began to look forward to it.

"In Mena Village..." Ronan asked a key question.

Blanco shook his head.
"We won't interfere with you doing other things, that's your right."

Ronan crossed his arms and had the answer without even having to think about it.

If the flow of people was not a consideration, he would definitely prefer to attend the market in Lourmarin.

The roads are too congested during the travel season, and selling things in your own village can save you several hours of commuting.

Not only did Blanco not interfere with his going to other villages to participate in the fair, he also spent money to promote him, which was absolutely no reason to refuse.

but--

Ronan pretended to sigh in embarrassment, and glanced in the direction of his father:

“I actually love going to the market in Lourmarin and have been selling truffles there in January and February, and now I only go to the village of Mena simply because I don’t have enough energy.”

Dad, what are you still hesitating about?
Ronan pointed to the vineyard outside and said bitterly:
"I have a lot of other things to do. One market a week is my limit. It's too much to handle. I'm afraid—"

"No, no, no, wait, wait!" Feng Zhen unexpectedly interrupted their conversation.

She glared at Ronan first, as if scolding him:

Two village chiefs are begging you together, and you are still putting on airs?

Then he glared at Luo Tianhai again:

Are you crazy? Still hesitating?!
Finally, she said to the two village heads with a smile:

"It's such a big deal. Can we give you some time to think about it and get back to you after Easter?"

Ronan silently gave his mother a thumbs up in his heart.

At critical moments, mothers are always more supportive!
　Thanks to [book friend 20190517191504541] and [the light at the intersection] for their rewards.

　　I also thank the friends who voted for the monthly ticket and the recommendation ticket. Thank you for your support~
　　
　
(End of this chapter)