Agnes had been somewhat absent-minded over the past few days, her face devoid of its usual smiles. She often sat alone by the window, gazing blankly into the distance as if she were the only person left in the entire world. Her heart was filled with conflict and anguish; on one hand, she felt proud of those brave warriors, while on the other, she grieved deeply for their departure. Especially upon learning that those familiar men had fallen on the battlefield, her spirits sank to the absolute depths of heaviness.
Every day, Agnes would silently make her way to the square to search for the friends she once knew. Standing quietly on the square's flag platform and looking toward the distant north, an indescribable sorrow welled up in her heart. She fought hard to keep the tears from falling, but they still blurred her vision. She wondered if Wage—her nominal husband, the man her parents had chosen for her—would be able to return safely. Though they had spent little time together, as a kind-hearted woman, she hoped everyone she knew would make it back safe and sound.
Upon returning home, Agnes would lock herself in her room, unwilling to face anyone. She immersed herself in grief alone, recalling the little moments shared with the warriors who had fallen over the past two days. She remembered their smiles, their courage, and their love for the motherland. She knew that although they had left this world, their spirit would forever live on in her heart. Yet the war was not over; it continued still. Agnes knew that more people would die and more families would be torn apart. She did not know when this war would end, and could only pray that those fighting on the battlefield would return safely. At the same time, she hoped this war would end soon, allowing everyone to live peaceful and happy lives.
Meanwhile, having a couple of days without Agnes's pestering made Yang Xi feel much freer. He quickly finished plowing all of his hundred-plus mu of land, and then had his good friend Mai Zi figure out a way to mail him some vegetable seeds.
"Next up are the greenhouses. I'll buy some second-hand steel pipes to put up ten greenhouses and grow some simple vegetables first to see how they do!" Every night, he would be so exhausted that he would just collapse face-down on the bed and sleep soundly.
Agnes had not shown up for ten days, which made Yang Xi somewhat worried. Early this morning, Yang Xi went over and knocked on her door. "Who is it?" Agnes's melodic voice rang out, instantly setting Yang Xi's mind at ease.
"It's nothing, I just came by to see if you need any help. If you're fine, I'll be heading off. Would you like to come over for hot pot tonight?" Thinking about it, he had been here for over a month now; Agnes had invited him over for dinner several times, yet he had never once invited her in return. Besides, he was still a normal person and had no reason to keep people thousands of miles away, so he changed his mind and spoke up.
"Sure! I'll come over as soon as I finish my evening prayers tonight," Agnes replied.
Yang Xi had no choice but to make a trip to the market. His bad friends had already mailed him some seasonings and the like, so he just needed to buy things like beef.
Yang Xi quickly bought plenty of vegetables, completed his purchase of meats, and even bought two bottles of liquor. He had to admit that meat in the city of Rod was really cheap, costing only half of what it did back home. Moreover, almost everyone he encountered on the street was a woman; men were rarely seen, and young men like Yang Xi were rarer still.
"Could it be that I've ended up in a kingdom of women?" Yang Xi's masculine, handsome, Eastern appearance turned the heads of many young girls.
Some of the bolder girls even took the initiative to run over and strike up a conversation with him; some invited him to dance, while others practically wanted to share a dinner with him.
The boldness and initiative of these girls left Yang Xi completely at a loss. To be honest, he was just a big boy; the first romance of his life had ended in marriage, and then for nearly three years he had lived somewhat as a recluse—aside from working, his social circle consisted only of going out to play with those few bad friends of his.
He fled back home as if escaping, fearing that if he stayed in the city center any longer, these women would drag him back to their homes. A few compatriots who were seeing Yang Xi for the first time were filled with amazement. "When did such a handsome guy show up around here?" a man in his fifties who sold down jackets asked his wife.
"Who knows? Never seen him before. Look at how shy he is; sooner or later, the girls around here are going to snatch him up and take advantage of him," she said, bursting into laughter.
Yang Xi was increasingly coming to believe the saying that women are like tigers, because that very night, Agnes kissed him forcefully more times than he could count. To put it nicely, she called it a custom; to Yang Xi, it was pure molestation, yet he had no way to argue his case anywhere.