Chapter 24: A Dire Situation

Ronan knew Louis would surely be able to help him.

Sure enough, Louis recommended a heating contractor who boasted that he could "make your home feel like summer in a second." Without any hesitation, Ronan called the contractor, a man named Simon.

Mr. Simon first introduced Ronan to his "credentials": solar-powered, gas, diesel—all sorts of heaters for the choosing! Ronan felt fortunate to have found such a professional. After describing his problems and needs, Simon offered his expert advice.

"To stay warm while simultaneously battling the freezing drafts blowing in from outside, standard heaters won't do. You must choose the most cold-resistant method; I suggest you install cast iron."

Simon spoke of heaters as if he were talking about a beloved lover, rambling on incessantly: "These aren't French goods. The boilers the French make are trash; the Germans and Belgians are the true geniuses of boiler construction. With this, even if the temperature outside drops to minus 10 degrees, the indoors can stay above 20 degrees."

"That’s fantastic, Mr. Simon. This is exactly what I need," Ronan said excitedly. "Can you come to install it today?" He didn't want to wait even a second; he longed to be tucked into a 20-degree bed right now.

"Oh, today won't work," Mr. Simon said regretfully. "It’s minus 6 degrees today, and it's full of snow outside. That’s too dangerous for a 55-year-old man."

Just as Ronan was about to say he could drive over to pick him up, Mr. Simon added: "Besides, today is the day my wife performs with her music troupe. She’s playing Bach. She’s an excellent amateur pianist—what a pity she’s only been learning for two years, otherwise, the world would have one more piano master..."

Mr. Simon became even more long-winded as he talked about his wife. It took a great effort for Ronan to politely steer the conversation back to the topic of heaters.

"How about this: when the weather gets a bit warmer, I’ll come over." This was the best result Ronan could manage after much effort; Simon had even suggested waiting until spring to start the work. How he wished Simon could learn a thing or two about professionalism from Louis!

"Fine. When the weather gets warmer, I’ll come to pick you up." Ronan firmly grasped the initiative. Before hanging up, Ronan realized he hadn't asked about the price, so he inquired about the approximate budget.

Based on the structure and area of Ronan’s house, Simon provided a quote: "It will cost about 45,000 francs."

"How much?" Ronan nearly knocked over the cup in front of him. 45,000? That was an entire year's income for many French families!

"Oh là là, your home situation is special, and you can only use cast iron. The angle steel is expensive, and I’m only giving you this price because I have no choice. You should blame the government—they take away 18.6% in transaction taxes, while caviar is taxed at only 6%! The financial system is so unfair, those politicians are the most evil and despicable people..." Simon began to drone on about social issues again.

***

Ronan had no choice but to suspend his plans to buy a heater; there was no financing available from Mr. Simon. He asked Louis about a few other heating contractors, but the replies were basically the same: to stay warm in a drafty house, one must use top-tier heating.

Ronan immediately changed his strategy and tried to repair the drafty windows, but he still didn't get any good news. Louis came to Ronan’s house in person to apologize for not being able to help with the matter: "There’s been a vacation craze in Provence over the past two years. Many wealthy people are buying houses here, so the craftsmen doing renovations have been making a killing these past two years. They don't work in the winter."

Ronan was also in the renovation business and knew roughly what the cost of repairing windows should be; even if multiplied by two, it would still be missing several zeros compared to the cost of replacing the heating: "I can pay extra." Three times as much would be fine!

Louis made a head-tilting, shrugging gesture: "Every year, around Easter, summer, and Christmas, these wealthy people fly in from all over the world. When they arrive, they always think their villas need renovations for their vacation to be considered perfect—like adding a sauna or building a fountain in the swimming pool... So, they all call the builders or craftsmen in Provence at the same time, giving instructions like 'it must be done before we arrive.' Such instructions usually mean generous compensation. Unfortunately, we are now at the peak season before Easter. Are you sure you want to compete in spending speed with those businessmen who own several multinational corporations?"

Ronan’s thoughts were perfectly aligned with Louis’. The money he earned truffle by truffle—why should it go into someone else's pocket in the form of a premium? Not a chance, not a single cent!

But the temperature in the house...

Louis puffed air into his palms and stomped his feet: "The cold in Provence comes and goes quickly. February is already half over, and by March, the temperature will rise. Wait until those rich businessmen who 'only care about speed, not money' leave, then change the windows. Buy some more cold-weather supplies at the next market."

"That’s all I can do. Thank you, Louis." Ronan saw Louis off, feeling dejected.

That afternoon, the originally happy parent-child activity day was canceled due to the setbacks in getting things done. Ronan wasn't in the mood to play with Xiao Hei, and Xiao Hei didn't want to move much either, sleeping day after day. Looking at the empty living room and listening to the howling wind outside, Ronan’s mood sank to the bottom.

Live like this in the cold wind for another half-month or more? To be tortured by sub-zero temperatures every night and wake up shivering? Should he steel himself and replace the heater? Or play a bidding game with those wealthy businessmen? Even if he did that, Ronan still couldn't bring himself to be happy.

***

Well... it all boils down to being poor! Previously, he had been smug about earning ten or twenty thousand a week, but it seemed he was still far from being "rich."

However, can't a poor person solve the problems right in front of them? If everyone were a "passive" businessman like Mr. Simon, or if the competitors for everything were those rich businessmen who "don't look at money but only at speed," how many more uncontrollable troubles would he have to face in the future?

After much thought, he opened the system.

[Level 1 Construction: 0/100]
[Level 2 Planting: 0/500]
[Level 2 Gathering: 0/500]
[Level 2 Cooking: 0/500]
[Level 1 Fishing: 0/100]
[Level 1 Hunting: 0/100]
...
[Available Experience: 79]

Ronan’s eyes landed on the first line: [Level 1 Construction: 0/100]. He had never thought about upgrading this skill before, wanting to spend his experience only on ways to earn money. But now, he had changed his mind.

While [Construction] couldn't help him earn money directly, in France, where labor costs were extremely high, having the ability to repair a house could save him a significant amount of money—and what is saved is what is earned. Moreover, with his background in interior decoration, [Construction] could prove to be incredibly useful.

"I’m leveling you up!"

However, Ronan had been focused solely on earning money these days, and he hadn't accumulated much "Happiness." The vast majority of it had come from the snowfall yesterday, and he couldn't upgrade directly just yet.

He picked up Xiao Hei and forced it to stand.

"Get up, it's time to work!"

Isn't it simple to acquire "happiness"? This is Provence, a paradise on earth!