Chapter 45: We Truly Are Destined For Each Other

The next day.

It was rare for Ronan to sleep until he woke up naturally.

After breakfast, he went to the village to order new replacements for all the remaining windows in his house that hadn't been changed yet.

The shop owner expressed extreme enthusiasm toward this major client:

"Mr. Ronan, we can not only supply new windows in all sizes, but we can also provide beautification work for the windows and doors of your house. In Provence, the decoration of doors and windows must never be taken lightly, especially for a 'big shot' like you."

The news that Ronan had sold a top-quality truffle worth over 40,000 in Ménerbes had already spread back to the village of Lourmarin.

A big shot like you, who can make more than 40,000 francs in a single day, only spends a little over 3,000 francs a month here—how could that possibly match your status?

"How much?" Ronan asked calmly.

His house indeed needed some beautification. Other people's front doors at least had some flowers and plants, and their windows had attractive ironwork patterns, while his house had nothing at all.

He wondered if those maniacal thieves had stolen them together with everything else.

The shop owner extended a palm:

"For only 5,000 francs, I can give your house a completely brand-new look."

Ronan leaned forward slightly:

"Not for now, thank you. Please have the new windows delivered as soon as possible."

The shop owner: "......"

Passing by the old tavern, Ronan heard a group of farmers complaining about the weather.

"This damn weather, barely March and it's already over ten degrees."

"Global warming has undoubtedly severely affected Provence, and it's all the fault of those capitalists who emit polluting gases!" Henry cursed angrily.

Seeing Ronan pass by the entrance, the farmers paused their conversation to greet him:

"Good morning, Ronan. Won't you come in for a couple of drinks? You haven't been here in a long time."

Ronan smiled and waved at them:

"Later, I'll go in a little later."

Having already walked past, Ronan turned back and asked Henry:

"Henry, how much did you say it would cost for that 'decoration' of the windows and doors you mentioned to me last time?"

When he had Henry help reinforce the windows, Henry had offered the same service, but back then Ronan didn't have much money on hand, so he hadn't asked about the price.

Henry hopped down from his barstool and hurried over to Ronan's side:

"1,000 francs, but it's not just the windows and doors—it's the windows, the doors, and the exterior walls of the house. I can also help you tidy up your backyard once."

Ronan blurted out:

"Can you start work now?"

Henry's mouth split open like a blooming flower, revealing his crooked, uneven teeth:

"Of course, of course I can!"

Ronan continued walking forward:

"Just don't let Lisa come."

Henry let out two awkward grunts:

"Alright, Mr. Ronan."

Nowadays, trying to win over Ronan as an eligible bachelor... was as difficult as ascending to the heavens.

......

Having settled a major matter, Ronan continued walking forward until he reached the bakery.

During a certain gathering, Alain had mentioned that the furniture he bought was both cheap and good. Ronan, who wanted to add new furniture to his home, intended to ask him to recommend some good craftsmen.

In Provence, furniture was entirely handmade, and if your luck was bad, you even had to wait in line.

Alain possessed a typical merchant's logical mindset. Upon hearing Ronan's purpose, the first question he asked was:

"Are you planning to buy cheap ones or expensive ones?"

The experience with beautifying the doors and windows gave Ronan some inspiration:

"Cheap ones. Practicality is the most important thing, but don't let them be too ugly."

Alain made a downward gripping motion with his right hand, as if guessing that the clever Ronan would surely make a wise choice:

"I suggest you go take a look at the quarry by the D7 highway."

"A quarry?" Ronan took his first sip of wine for the day. "Stone materials are more suitable for outdoor use. I want to add some furniture to the interior first."

Alain made a smile that Ronan hadn't seen in a long time, the kind that meant 'you outsiders really don't understand Provence':

"Luberon is rich in stone materials. It's not just for fireplaces, walls, and floors—there are suitable stones for chairs, tables, gazebos, and kitchen sinks. You won't find these precious treasures in other countries."

He began to introduce them with the tone of a 'stone expert':

"Luberon has more than twenty kinds of excellent stones with different colors and textures. The stones produced by the Tavaux quarry are smooth, dense, and grayish-brown, and the crafts made from them are exported all over the world; the stones produced in the village of Lacoste are rough, soft, and milky-white, and the furniture made from them possesses a very high aesthetic appeal......"

Accompanying Alain's introduction, Ronan recalled that at Louis's house, Alain's house, Karl's house, and even Lucas's house, he had indeed seen a great deal of furniture made from stone.

As long as it was practical and sturdy, Ronan didn't mind whether it was made of stone, wood, or anything else.

"It's not easily damaged, right? I mean, do stone furniture pieces have any obvious drawbacks?" Ronan interrupted Alain's speech.

In Paris, stone furniture was extremely expensive.

A single washbasin cost several thousand francs, a stone table with a slight touch of design easily exceeded ten thousand, and marble floors were the standard equipment of the wealthy.

Although Ronan was an interior designer, he knew very little about this material, and his financial condition did not support him coming into contact with such expensive materials.

Alain burst into laughter:

"The only drawback of stone is that it feels cold in the winter, my friend... but you should be asking me about its advantages. If Michel had bought stone furniture before, you wouldn't be agonizing over getting furniture right now, would you?"

Ronan was left speechless.

However, the fundamental reason that finally made Ronan make up his mind to go check out the Route 7 quarry was—the price of stone furniture.

Alain said that in Provence, stone was cheaper than roofing felt.

Then what was there to hesitate about?

......

There were many directional road signs for quarries along the D7 highway.

Following a logo that caught his fancy, Ronan turned off the highway at an intersection, passed through a sparse oak forest, and saw a boundless, giant 'shopping mall'.

In a region tied for the highest theft rate in all of France, there were no fences, no walls, not even guard dogs; everything was completely open.

Ronan got out of the car, strolled around the 'shopping mall', and finally understood the reason for the shop owner's 'carefree attitude'.

Everything displayed here weighed over five tons. A theft gang would need a scale of at least ten people, along with winches, cranes, and huge heavy trucks, just to have a chance at success.

Here, he saw dozens of bathtubs carved from single blocks of marble, dozens of dining tables that could accommodate over twenty people, staircases of various styles and heights, an entire balcony spanning over twenty square meters complete with a table and four chairs, an angel fountain, exquisitely carved pillars, statues in the ancient Roman style......

Oh, my goodness.

Ronan even saw a replica of the Arc de Triomphe, over twenty meters high, wider than most roads in the village of Lourmarin.

He truly regretted that what he owned was merely a farmhouse rather than an ancient chateau, otherwise he could have bought everything needed for a chateau in a single day.

Ronan calmed down and moved away from this 'exciting' area. He noticed a few semi-open buildings in the corner that looked like workshops.

Before even reaching them, he saw piles of lime on the ground, as if accumulated for a millennium, kicking up half-meter-high waves of dust with every step he took.

Walking a few more steps, Ronan heard a strange voice, sounding as though someone was being choked by the neck and struggling to read their last will and testament before dying:

"You can make things this big, yet you can't make a brooch? I just want an olive branch wreath brooch carved from cold stone. Price is no object, I will definitely make you satisfied."

"Miss, I make furniture, not accessories! You've come to the wrong place!" Another voice wailed in agony.

"But only your place has milky-white cold stone, so I have no choice but to come to you. Please just accept my request quickly, your place is too dirty... I can add another 500."

"Hello, may I come in?" Ronan stopped at the doorway without entering. To his surprise, he spotted an acquaintance here.

Helena dropped her left hand pinching her nose and her right hand covering her mouth with a handkerchief in astonishment, then swiftly flicked off the white lime that had landed on her dress, and waved at Ronan with the most elegant posture:

"Hello there, Ronan. We really have a strong bond."