Chapter 23: The First Snow

After a night of exceptionally brilliant starlight, the first snow of the New Year in Provence arrived right on schedule. Ronan woke up in the middle of the night to discover the snowfall, and his immediate concern was the state of the roads. He had become addicted to earning money lately, and every day he only wanted to go truffle hunting. This heavy snowfall was a significant disruption to his income-generating progress.

"God help me, I hope they clear the snow off the roads," Ronan muttered to himself, wiping the windowpane with a look of worry. Even on sunny days, driving out made him nervous; on snow-covered roads, he certainly didn't dare to go head-to-head with the reckless drivers of Provence.

He guessed that at this hour, the village hadn't yet organized any snow-clearing efforts, so he went back to sleep until eight o'clock. Only then did he put on every piece of cold-weather gear he owned and head out to inspect the road conditions.

The heavy snow had lent an added serenity to the Luberon. For hundreds of meters in every direction, it felt as though he were cut off from the rest of the world, with nature belonging solely to him, save for the occasional set of squirrel tracks visible in the snow. Ronan walked a circuit around his surroundings and found the remote roads completely buried in snow—it was impossible to drive out. Still, adopting the attitude of "since I'm already here," he headed toward the more densely populated center of the village.

The village government’s snow-clearing plan was already underway. Several burly men were working from key locations—the grocery store, the butcher shop, the bakery, the old tavern, and so on—clearing paths free of snow. Ronan wandered aimlessly until he reached the old tavern, where he saw the proprietor smoking a pipe and congratulating the snow-clearing crew: "Fantastic! Once again, we have overcome this natural disaster with our indomitable spirit!"

Ronan became the tavern’s first customer. "A cinnamon roll, scrambled eggs, and a cup of coffee," he ordered. With the clearing work just beginning and no way to leave the village for a while, Ronan sat by the window, enjoying the scenery while he ate his breakfast. He was grateful for this snow, the kind usually reserved for Christmas cards; for the first time on a non-market day, he saw the streets teeming with villagers. They walked and skidded excitedly, their footsteps erratic, much like Louis after a few too many drinks. A child on a sled accidentally bumped into a tree by the side of the road, and his father shook his head nonchalantly, using the characteristically hyperbolic rhetoric of the Provençal people: "The snow has caused another major traffic accident." Cars covered in white snow sat in their parking spaces more obediently than tame sheep.

[Appreciating the beauty of nature adds 5 points to Happiness.]

The unexpected system prompt made the corners of Ronan’s mouth turn upward. "A glass of pastis," he called out to the owner.

The owner pointed toward the window on the other side. Pierre, leading a group of farmers, was driving a tractor to clear a path wide enough for a single vehicle. "You'll be able to drive into the mountains soon enough." The tavern owner knew these truffle hunters too well; as long as they had a breath left in them, they wouldn't stop heading into the hills. Of course, if he possessed Ronan’s exceptional skills, he wouldn't stop either.

However, Ronan shook his head. "The weather is bad; I'm taking a few days off." His mindset had shifted because of the snow. Money could be earned every day, but once the "scenery" was missed, it was gone forever. One shouldn't be too fixated on quick profits; earning money and enjoying life were both equally important.

The owner cast an approving look at Ronan. "It is wise to awaken one's taste buds with pastis."

[Tasting authentic pastis adds 3 points to Happiness.]

Against the backdrop of the beautiful scenery outside the window, even the joy of drinking pastis seemed to increase.

After two glasses at the tavern, Ronan returned home. The village children were all out playing in the snow, and he decided he should take his "child" out to play as well. Little Black was over two months old, and this was his first time seeing snow; he was incredibly excited. He dove into snowdrifts like a wild rabbit, emerging covered in white, and bounded about on the empty, snowy ground. To help his "family member" learn more about the world, Ronan even took him to a patch of ice.

The dog, who had looked so majestic in the snow, became completely flustered on the ice. He slipped several times, tucked his tail, and scurried back, only to stand on it again out of curiosity half a minute later, before slipping and falling once more—he was having the time of his life. Ronan laughed heartily at his "clumsy but enthusiastic" pet.

He had previously assumed that each of a dog's paws provided equal propulsion. After observing Little Black on the ice for a while, he realized he had been mistaken. When Little Black ran on the ice, his front half could maintain a straight line, but his two hind legs completely lost control, flailing about, and his tail wagged from side to side as if each leg had a mind of its own.

"Come back here, don't embarrass yourself!" Ronan shouted, laughing until he leaned back.

[Playing with your beloved pet in the snow adds 4 points to Happiness.]
[Playing with your beloved pet in the snow adds 5 points to Happiness.]

That evening, Ronan made a pot of stewed lamb chops, and both man and dog ate until their mouths were glistening with grease. Consequently, Ronan achieved his highest single-day Happiness score since moving to Provence: 49 points!

What did 49 points in a day represent? With two more snowfalls like this, he could upgrade a Level 2 skill! He had expected this to be a perfect day full of happiness, but by nightfall, even while sitting by the fireplace in a thick coat and sipping hot water, he could still feel the cold wind slapping his face from every direction, and his breath turned into white mist in the air.

Before nine o'clock, Ronan crawled under the covers to sleep. As he lifted the quilt, he found something dark hidden inside. "You're cold, too, aren't you?" Ronan pulled Little Black into his arms and made a resolution: "Tomorrow, I'll solve the temperature problem in this house."

The next day, Ronan didn't wake up until after nine. As he washed up with bone-chilling cold water, he heard a strange noise from downstairs, as if someone were hitting something with a heavy object. He shivered as he went to the first floor to check, only to find Little Black pushing his water bowl, which had frozen into a block of ice, against the bathroom door.

Ronan quickly pieced it all together. Little Black was thirsty, but the water was frozen; he had licked and licked until he ended up at the bathroom door. He looked back at Ronan with a confused expression, as if asking, "Why could I drink it yesterday, but not today?"

"Because the weather has gotten even colder..." Ronan stroked his little head.

After replacing the water for Little Black, Ronan picked up the phone and called Louis. After the two markets he had participated in since buying his car, he had managed to save 28,000 francs. Since he was still carrying a loan, he could only afford to handle either the window repairs or the heating installation first. The drafty windows were certainly the primary culprit; Alain’s house didn't have heating either, and while it was a bit cold at night using only the fireplace, it wasn't as extreme as his own situation.

Should he fix the windows first? But if he had heating, the indoor temperature could reach over twenty degrees, and a few drafts wouldn't be such a big deal. If the heating were particularly strong, those cold winds blowing in from Siberia might even feel quite "pleasant."

Which should he solve first?

"Hello?" the voice on the other end answered.

"Louis, can you recommend a heating merchant to me?" Ronan had made his decision.