Chapter 14: Bullying the Little One

No one believed Ronan could find truffles.
Wasn’t he always just at the old tavern drinking?
Even though their noses told them the bag contained truffles, someone still suggested Ronan take them out for a closer look—and that only deepened their disbelief.
They were as large as tennis balls?
Pierre scraped off some dirt with his pinky nail, brought it to his nose, and sniffed twice:
“Fresh, unearthed less than five hours ago.”
This ruled out the possibility that Ronan had bought them.
Places where you could buy truffles didn’t have anything that fresh, and those who could dig up fresh ones certainly wouldn’t sell to Ronan, especially during the competition when everyone was vying for first place.
Theo’s wine had sobered him up, and he clicked his tongue in amazement:
“What’s even more incredible is that he actually knows how to preserve truffles—they’re all moist… Pierre, did you teach him?”
Once truffles are dug from the earth, they begin to dehydrate and dry out, which lowers their weight.
Since truffles are priced by weight, what evaporates isn’t just moisture—it’s money!
Experienced truffle hunters pay great attention to keeping their truffles moist, and Ronan did the same.
Pierre’s expression turned unusually serious:
“I never taught him that.”
He had never expected Ronan to dig up truffles; why would he teach him how to preserve them?
Could it be that the spot he casually pointed out actually had truffles, and Ronan, the obedient boy, found some while practicing there?
Good God, that was a tennis ball-sized truffle!
It was the largest one that appeared during the competition week!
“Where did you dig it up?” Pierre asked, seeking confirmation.
Ronan raised an eyebrow at him:
“Every truffle hunter has his own secret garden.”
With that, he carefully packed the truffles away and finished the last sip of his drink:
“You all enjoy your drinks.”
“Stay a little longer! Don’t be in such a hurry to leave!” voices pleaded all around.
Everyone was curious about how Ronan could find truffles and wanted to squeeze as much information as possible from him.
“No, I have things to do tomorrow,” Ronan smiled, waved his hand, and pushed open the old tavern’s door.
After Ronan left, the atmosphere returned to how it was before, but the topic still revolved around him.
Everyone guessed Ronan was quite a lucky lad, because all who had hunted truffles knew how much luck mattered—sometimes even a dog’s mood could affect the final outcome.
Suddenly, Theo looked as if he had seen a ghost, his eyes stiffened, staring blankly at some unseen point ahead.
Pierre glanced at him:
“If you’re not convinced, go dig. The competition isn’t over yet.”

Including Pierre himself, many were affected by Ronan’s “luck,” unable to understand why fortune favored someone else and not them.
Was it just because Ronan was better looking?
But sulking wouldn’t help; if you felt wronged, then “work” to get it back! The farmer’s way!
Anyway, he had decided—after finishing this drink, he would go home and leave before dawn tomorrow.
Theo trembled as he said:
“No, no, boss, I just suddenly thought… Ronan doesn’t have a truffle dog. How did he manage to dig any up?”
The old tavern erupted instantly, unable to calm down.
...
That day, Ronan went home early because tomorrow was Friday again.
He had to go to the market with Zoe, and smelling like alcohol wouldn’t do.
The next day, just like last week, Ronan arrived at Louis’s doorstep a few minutes early to wait.
Only a week had passed, but the temperature had dropped significantly; Ronan had to keep pacing to stay warm.
This reminded him of his winter plan.
The fireplace was already lit, but the temperature still hadn’t risen enough; every day, he and his dog warmed each other.
This was likely because many windows were drafty.
The previous owner, Mr. Michel, only lived in Provence during the summer and thus never installed heating or addressed the house’s insulation for winter.
But installing heating or replacing windows required a lot of money, and Ronan urgently needed to buy a car.
He couldn’t keep borrowing Louis’s car every time he went truffle hunting.
Moreover, having a car would expand his range of activity, which was crucial for gaining experience.
Money... he was desperately short of it!
Zoe arrived a few minutes early as well.
Seeing Ronan standing at her door with hollow eyes and noisy footsteps, she held back a laugh and asked:
“Still not sober from yesterday’s wine?”
Of course, she had heard about Ronan’s new title.
Ronan awkwardly took the things from Zoe’s hands, and this time she wasn’t as resistant as she had been last week. Then he sheepishly said:
“I didn’t drink yesterday.”
“Oh?” Zoe deliberately stretched the tone, looking very pleased.
Ronan quickly felt guilty and corrected himself:
“Not much.”
“Then what were you doing just now?” Zoe didn’t press him further.
“A bit cold, so I was moving around,” Ronan said, not wanting to admit he was worried about money.
The smile on Zoe’s face vanished instantly:
“The weather’s getting colder—you shouldn’t go today.”
Last week, she had taken Ronan to the market because he hadn’t been before.
This week, there was no reason for him to tag along again.
Was it just because she wanted to treat him to a meal?
But she could have asked him to come at lunchtime for that... Zoe began to blame herself for her strange behavior.
Ronan smiled brightly:
“I’m going to sell something today too.”
“Sell what?” Zoe blinked her big eyes.
She hadn’t seen Ronan bring anything.
Ronan cautiously took out the carefully preserved truffles hidden in his pocket:
“How should I sell this?”
Zoe was stunned, at a loss for words.
...
Participating in the market required an application, and with Zoe’s help, the approval was smooth; Ronan could set up his stall that very day.
But he hadn’t had time to prepare all the necessary items for the stall, so today he squeezed in with Zoe.
Zoe’s stall was large, and even after giving Ronan a tenth of the space, it still seemed spacious for his six truffles.
Seasonal products like truffles were among the best sellers at the market, drawing customers continuously as soon as they appeared.
The tennis ball-sized truffle was sold in less than ten minutes, and the smaller ones were gone within an hour and a half, bringing Ronan a total income of 2,100 francs.
Not only did Ronan make a hefty profit, but Zoe’s business also improved.
Her cups and plates were among the more expensive items at the market, each priced between 100 and 200 francs.
Usually, selling two or three items in a morning was considered a good day, but under the truffle’s attraction, she sold five today.
Ronan finished selling early, and Zoe exceeded her sales target, so she started packing up half an hour ahead of time:
“Let’s go—I’m treating you to a meal.”
Ronan kindly got up to help:
“Today, it’s my treat. Without you, I wouldn’t know who to ask.”
Ronan urgently needed money, and truffles were most valuable when fresh.
If he waited until next week to sell them, he might lose some weight—and thus money—so Zoe had saved his wallet.
Zoe’s golden hair cascaded down like a waterfall, and she tilted her head cheerfully:
“Being treated twice in a row by a brother two years younger than me—people might say I’m bullying a ‘kid.’”