In bad times, the castle was used to resist the enemy's entrance to the palace, and was the living place of nobles and knights.
The main tower of Tuweier Castle is 50 meters high, with a total of six floors and a total of 57 rooms with various uses.
Chen Chuan and Marion looked at the scenery on the third and fourth floors each. Afterwards, they climbed to the top floor and looked at the scenery of the entire left bank of Bordeaux. Looking around, the castles and villages of all sizes are lined up, hidden in the forest. , It is very beautiful and scattered. This was the first time that Chen Chuan saw this idyllic French landscape, and it was an achievement.
For Marion, she also achieved three achievements in a continuous period of time. Located on the top floor of such a high castle, looking at the scenery outside the door, the sea breeze blowing in the Atlantic Ocean, passing by the seaside hills, the wind is sometimes bitter and sometimes mild. , She felt very comfortable.
"C\'estgénial." She leaned against the city wall on the top floor and sighed sincerely.
This French translation is so cool.
She took out the lady's cigarette from her bag and asked Chen Chuan with her eyes. When she saw Chen Chuan nodding, she lit it, held the cigarette between her fingers, inhaled gently, exhaled slowly, and looked at the vast Bordeaux plain. Scenery.
She spoke the four words "Piaoyuxian" in unskilled Mandarin. It can be seen that in order to welcome Chen Chuan's arrival, she has also put a lot of effort into her lips and learned some everyday expressions, even idioms. . Moreover, this idiom even allowed her to find an opportunity to use it, and it was considered correct.
"The castle over there seems to be abandoned, full of trees?" Chen Chuan asked, pointing to the light-colored castle in the distance.
Marion followed Chen Chuan's arm and looked over and said, "Mr. Chen, can you see so far? I can't see there clearly, but I know that there is an old castle named Elson over there. It was Elson in the 15th century. The duke's territory, the castle suffered a fire and was abandoned."
"Fire? Rich family grievance or foreign enemy attack?" Chen Chuan asked.
"It's the former. The giants have a deep grievance. It must be the case in any country in the world, and it is the same in Quanyou." Marion's chestnut-colored hair hangs down, leaning lazily against the top of the city, with a cigarette in her left hand, her eyes look Enchanted, she continued, "No one has taken over that kind of abandoned castle. The price is not expensive, but if you get the money, you have to pay a maintenance fee."
"Maintenance fees?"
"Well, this is regulated by the government. A large castle like Elson has to pay a maintenance fee of at least 30 million euros. Therefore, even if the price is 1 euro, it is difficult to sell." Marien said, "So , Mr. Chen, it's very cost-effective to buy Tuweier Winery. You brought 70 hectares of vineyards, this large castle, and the wine cellar. There are two new vintage wines in the cellar, which are packed together. Sell it to you."
Chen Chuan learned that the castle maintenance fee for the winery presented to him by the system is very low, because the castle is a bonus asset of the winery, and they are all included in the cost of 10 million euros. This is indeed quite a change.
The value of the winery does not depend on the size of the vineyard. Like the famous Romani Conti winery, the vineyards are only 3.5 hectares, and the vineyards of Lafite Winery are less than 10 hectares. Big, but the price of the wine sold is dozens of times higher than that of the middle-level village. When converted to the domestic price, it is at least 5,000 yuan a bottle.
"Tuwell's wine is not bad. The supermarket here can sell a bottle for 20 Euros, and the main market is the UK. In the average cheap supermarket, many red wines are around 10 Euros. Wines bought for 5 Euros taste just fine. It's pretty good, but it won't work at a low price. For example, for a wine of 2 euros, we only use it for stew." Marien said.
Marion briefly introduced some knowledge to Chen Chuan. This woman is proficient in all aspects, whether it is the knowledge she has mastered or she is quite deep. It is worthy of being the top 5% of koshen people in the French income.
She has a pretty good life at a young age. The accounting office receives 3750 Euros per month, and the part-time financial consultant can also transfer 2380 Euros. Now she joins Chen Chuan and it rises to 3000 Euros. After tax, it is almost 5500 Euros. Converted, it is about 43,000 yuan, even in China, it is a high-income group.
But she still doesn't have a house. She lives with a younger brother and a younger sister at her parents' home. She is an ambitious person who yearns for a metropolis like Paris.
When asked about the house prices in Paris, she cited an example, 2 million yuan, or 250,000 euros, in the first district of Paris, you can only buy a small room of 15 square meters.
Chen Chuan smiled. No wonder she was so enthusiastic. According to her salary, she earns 50,000 Euros a year and works for five years. She can save 250,000 Euros without eating or drinking. She can only buy a small room of 15 square meters in Paris. Obviously not what she wanted.
People all over the world have the same needs for pursuing a more advanced life. Marion is the case, and Chen Chuan is no exception.
Standing on the tower, overlooking the Bordeaux region, Chen Chuan inevitably felt his heart, wanting more ideas, more wealth, more estates, more land...
There is a more magnificent castle not far away. Marion said that there is the famous Rose Manor, which is worth about 200 million euros.
Chen Chuan's Tuweier Manor is incomparable to Rose Manor.
Buzzing!
The two were chatting, and a video call came in. Chen Chuan saw that it was Wang Facai. The Singaporean girl who came with him.
After Chen Chuan took it, Marion on the side tidied up her appearance and clothes.
Although she doesn't know if she will leave the country, she doesn't want to be seen by others as she looks disheveled just in case.
"Hey, Chen Chuan, where are you? We are in St. Julian's Village. Where are you? There is a restaurant in the village. Would you like to come to eat together?" Wang Facai said.
"Kunichwa, Chuansang." The big cherry blossom next to Wang Facai also greeted with vigor.
Chen Chuan glanced at Marion beside him.
Marien said: "St. Julian's is in the south, not far from here, so it's a close neighbor."
Chen Chuan nodded and said to the Wang Facai: "I am in Saint-Esteve, and I heard from my friends in France that it is not far from you. Do you want to come here for dinner?"
Chen Chuan remembered the hearty lunch that Marien had asked the castle chef to cook, and neither of them finished eating. Anyway, encounter is fate, Chen Chuan doesn't or mind asking two friends on the journey to eat together.
If they are willing to come and eat together.
"Is there a restaurant where you are?" Wang Facai asked.
"Yes, there is not only a restaurant, but also a private kitchen." Chen Chuan smiled, "The authentic French food should taste good."
Chen Chuan saw Wang Facai and Da Sakura discussing whether to come. What worries them is the traffic problem. There is no public transportation here. They are tour buses with the group and can't move by themselves.
Marien on the side asked softly: "Mr. Chen, do you want me to pick up two beautiful ladies?"
But after the two discussed it, they still couldn't decide. According to the character of Neon people, they were most afraid of troubles others.
Hung up the video call. Chen Chuan regretted the two and missed a big meal.
"It seems that such a rich meal must be enjoyed by me alone." Marion said with a smile.
The two walked down from the top floor, the spiral tower stairs, looked very high, full of ritual.
Exquisitely decorated rooms can be seen everywhere, the entire castle is a huge maze, 27 bedrooms, it is enough to live here at night for a party.
There are as many basketball courts in the hall on the first floor. On one side is the living room where guests can chat, and the other is the dining area. There is no partition between the two areas, and the layout is clear at a glance.
Obviously, this castle has been remodeled. Floor-to-ceiling glass windows are used as walls in two directions. The shining waves outside the windows are exactly the noon view, and the sun is slanting on the water of the outdoor swimming pool.
The western dining table in the dining area can accommodate at least 30 people. At this time, there are only 6 staff members who only serve. This is still some necessary personnel retained after the castle steward team was disbanded.
If two people are sitting at two ends, then the conversation basically depends on shouting.
So Marion chose to sit on the left side of Chen Chuan.
The waiter pulled the chair away and the two sat down.
The dishes have not yet come, but the ceremony is full.
Standing near Chen Chuan was a young guy, who was holding Tuwell's 30-year-old self-brewed red wine in his hand.
Chen Chuan can't actually drink wine from this producing area.
The wine produced by Saint-Esteve is too astringent, not only for him, but also for domestic people who are not used to this taste.
Even though it is publicly said that the wine here is rich in berry aromas, as well as truffles, dried flowers, raspberries, blackberries, but Chen Chuan only tasted the strong tannins, and even quite heavy earthy aromas.
After the wine was opened, the waiter poured the wine into an open large glass bottle, which is called "ventilation". About ten minutes later, Marien and Chen Chuan pour one-third of the wine into their glasses.
Then the dishes were served, which were essentially appetizers of salads, soups and meat sauces, and they looked creative and imaginative by the chef. In addition, there are a variety of seafood, and a small portion of pasta, highlighting a small portion.
The main course is meat, the classic Bordeaux duck, foie gras, lamb, steak, pork and lobster, fried sea bass, fried salmon, etc.
Because the original owner here was not the top rich man, so 250,000 euros a box of caviar and white truffles did not appear in the ingredients.
Even so, the food is very generous.
"Bonappétit!" Chen Chuan said in French, which is equivalent to "I started" before a Japanese meal.
The two were eating vegetables and chatting casually.
Speaking of these six "servants," or "housekeepers," Chen Chuan thought that in modern society, with the increase in labor costs and the awareness of equal rights, the concept of "servants" no longer exists in these big castles.
However, the actual cleaning, manor repairs, back kitchen and other internal and external chores still require manpower.
"Another rich man I know, she has 55 servants in her family." Marien said, "It's just that when we get along, it looks more like a friendship."
However, generally speaking, in European and American countries, due to social development, labor costs and visa issues, there are very few servants, and more are housekeepers in the upper class and part-time nanny for middle-class families. In Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America, servants are real and widespread.
Chen Chuan felt that when he was eating, there were six people watching him, and he was quite uncomfortable.
The conversation between the two started from the concept of servants, talking about Eastern and Western cultures, social structures, customs, food gossip, and ways of communicating between men and women.
Speaking of the relationship between men and women, Chen Chuan learned from Marien that the French young people's outlook on love is quite casual. Even if the relationship is confirmed, the two people do their own things on weekdays. They do not contact for a few days, and then they are ambiguous. Something happens a few times, then there is no contact for a few days, and then something happens a few times ambiguously, the cycle repeats. This is different from domestic ones. Domestic young people, if they determine the relationship, they all act in the same way, eating and playing together and sleeping together.
The dessert after the main course is a light and fluffy mousse, and a galette with multiple layers of pastry, which is crisp and delicious, with a lot of butter, French brulee and cream puffs, and a bite of noble rot-type sweet white wine.
The unique aroma of noble rot fungi extends from the nasal cavity to the mouth, and the balanced acidity makes the wine strong but not greasy. Tasting the sweet wine, feeling the temperature of the afternoon sun from the glass window, listening to the French woman on the side telling the hot and cold knowledge , Dining time is pleasant and leisurely.
After the dinner, come with another cup of coffee and smell the strong coffee aroma.
Marion answered a call, she answered a few times, hung up, and said to Chen Chuan, "Manager Louis is here, and his tone is cautious. I must have heard that you are here. Would you like to see?"
Chen Chuan nodded, the management left by the last owner, he will meet sooner or later, stay if appropriate, let him leave if appropriate, and re-recruit himself.
This is how he operates in the industries donated by the system.
Before long, a middle-aged man with a big belly but full of smiles like Garfield walked in. He looked about fifty years old, of medium build, wearing jeans and a brown suit jacket, with a simple face, like that kind and joyful teasing. Uncle.
Chen Chuan has also imagined what kind of person the manager of such a winery is like, and his impression seems to be the kind of uncle who insists on exercising, maintains a good figure, and exudes a handsome body. He did not expect to be a Garfield.
Uncle Garfield looked a little nervous.
Marion introduced: "Hello Louis, this is the new owner of Towell Manor, Mr. Chen Chuan."
"Welcome Mr. Chen to Tuwell. I am Gaston Louis Anthony, the manager and winemaker here. I have been working here for ten years." Louis said in English.
In fact, the French, especially the elderly, are quite repulsive of English. On the street, if you ask a French lady the way in English, the other person will understand clearly and will pretend not to understand...
"Hello, Louis." Chen Chuan stood up and stretched out his hand.
There is a tradition of veneer ceremony in France, but it is usually between women, or between men and women, although there are also between men, but it is relatively rare. Chen Chuan didn't have much interest in meeting this Uncle Garfield a few times.
Louis saw Chen Chuan's stretched out hand and hurriedly shook it.
Chen Chuan felt the information in his mind:
Name: Gaston Louis Anthony
Age: 51
Health: excellent
Specialty: Brewing
Chen Chuan looked at this uncle and felt a little nervous. It stands to reason that someone who can manage a winery worth tens of millions of euros and has seen wind and waves is so nervous, it must be strange.
"Do you want to report formally, or sit down and have a cup of coffee and just chat?" Chen Chuan asked.
Louis was stunned, realizing that Chen Chuan was speaking fluent French, and he flattered and said, "Mr. Chen is very good in French, I...to be honest, there is a situation that needs to be reported to you. If it is convenient, please Chen Mr. Go to the wine cellar."
Chen Chuan glanced at Marion, Marion also looked blank.
She is the accountant responsible for auditing the winery. She didn't even know what was going on. Seeing Louis like this, it seemed something bad happened, and she also became nervous.
If the situation is relatively large, then she is also considered negligent, because she and Chen Chuan reported that everything went well in the winery audit. However, Chen Chuan was in trust in her, and did not come to the winery to personally inspect it, so he signed the sales contract.
"Louis, what's the matter?" Marion asked nervously.
"Let's... go to the wine cellar and talk." Louis said.
"Ok just to visit the wine cellar." Chen Chuan said.
Chen Chuan and Marion took Louis's car to the wine cellar.
The distance of 6 kilometers is smooth and there are no other vehicles and no traffic lights. It will be there in a while.
The wine cellar was underneath, and Chen Chuan followed Louis down, like a wartime air-raid shelter, like a maze.
There are a variety of photos hanging on the walls of the tunnel. Most of them are celebrities from all over the world who come here to visit and take photos with the owner. Among them are several familiar celebrities in China. Chen Chuan estimates that his photos will have to be hung up in the future.
Inside the wine cellar, cement, stainless steel and wood elements are perfectly combined. There is no whitewashing, no other peculiar smell, only the rich aroma of oak barrels and red wine fermentation.
After passing through the criss-cross tunnels, he came to a hall. Chen Chuan was shocked by the scene before him. Looking over, the endless oak barrels lined up neatly.
Louis wiped his sweat with a handkerchief and took three clean red wine glasses. From an oak barrel, with a long straw-like tool, he took the red wine out and divided it into three glasses.