After a few drinks, Agnes became even more uninhibited and tried several times to push Yang Xi down, but he refused each time.
"I'm sorry, I can't accept this because you have a husband. I don't know how things are done in your country, but this is my principle," Yang Xi said in the Bear Country language.
Helpless, Agnes had to give up. Shrugging, she said, "Yang, you're the first man I've ever truly liked, but you've rejected me. Let me tell you, Wage is just my fiancé, not my husband. He was chosen for me by my parents, but I don't necessarily have to marry him."
"Agnes, at least not now. Even if I agreed, we would have to talk things through with him face-to-face, not behind his back. I must live my life with a clear conscience, without any lingering guilt in my heart," Yang Xi said. It took him a long time and a lot of explaining to get the concept of a clear conscience across.
It was late into the night before Yang Xi finally helped the drunken Agnes back to her own room. Because everything had been explained clearly, Agnes agreed to wait until Wage returned, sort things out between them, and only then be with Yang Xi.
Early the next morning, Yang Xi called Agnes to check on her condition, and knowing she was fine, he felt relieved to go out for a stroll. He found the couple who had sold him the down jacket the day before. The man was named Xue Wenlin and his wife was Jiang Qiu. The couple had been living in Bear Country for ten years, and they knew practically all the local Hua Country people.
"Uncle, is there anything I need to watch out for here? I was almost dragged home by a girl in the square yesterday!" Yang Xi asked.
"Let me tell you, the girls here are usually straightforward, enthusiastic, and generous. They speak their minds in interactions and express their emotions quite directly. Many Bear Country girls are brave and confident, daring to pursue their dreams and goals without fearing difficulties and challenges. To put it simply, they're a bit fierce! A handsome and young guy like you—well, your uncle advises you to protect yourself when you go out," Xue Wenlin said with a knowing look.
"Oh, Xiao Yang, your auntie still thinks our northern girls are the best. Later on, Auntie will introduce you to a match. She's an international student at the university here, and she's so pretty. Auntie thinks you two are a match made in heaven," Jiang Qiu chimed in.
As Yang Xi chatted with the two of them, almost every girl who came into the shop to buy clothes asked Jiang Qiu about Yang Xi. Jiang Qiu told every single one of them that Yang Xi was already married, prompting the girls to leave with disappointed looks on their faces.
Just around lunchtime, as Yang Xi was preparing to say goodbye, a group of street thugs strutted over, every single one of them holding a baseball bat. Yang Xi recognized one of them—the tall man with his arm wrapped in gauze who had tried to rob him that night.
"Uncle, get back inside the shop. I'll handle this," Yang Xi said, afraid of implicating the couple. To his surprise, Xue Wenlin directly pulled a shotgun out from the shop. "Xiao Yang, don't be afraid. Uncle has a Bear Country firearm license! Punks like this are nothing to me," Xue Wenlin said toughly.
"No, Uncle, put the gun down. They don't have guns; we'll settle this with our fists. I'll have all these guys flat on the ground in three minutes," Yang Xi urged.
"Beat him to death!" the leader roared, taking the lead as he charged at Yang Xi. Yang Xi stood calmly in his place. He stepped back and dropped one with a knee strike; he swayed left and laid out another with a kick; leaping up from where he stood, he slipped behind a third man and delivered a hand chop, dropping him limp... Tenth, eleventh—all right, now it's your turn, Yang Xi said, walking up to the man with the arm sling after knocking down eleven thugs.
The man looked at Yang Xi in terror and stammered, "Hua Country kung fu, a Hua Country master! I was blind and failed to recognize Mount Tai. Please forgive me!" As he spoke, he imitated the Hua Country custom of cupping one hand in the other and made a deeply apologetic gesture.
"Take your men and go. If you ever bother me again, I'll take your life," Yang Xi said. The dozen or so thugs scrambled away in a panic.
Yang Xi's martial arts skills shocked everyone present. Previously, taking on a dozen people at once was something one only saw in movies; seeing it happen live in reality was an extraordinary visual impact.
"Xiao Yang, with skills like yours, you can truly be considered a martial arts master!" Xue Wenlin exclaimed.
Several older women and girls nearby were utterly stunned, and some had already taken out their phones to take pictures and record videos. To avoid causing trouble, Yang Xi hurriedly said goodbye to the couple and bolted home like the wind.
When he was still a hundred meters from home, Yang Xi saw Agnes hurrying out of the house, looking very upset with tear tracks still on her face. "Agnes, what's wrong?" Yang Xi asked.
"Yang, you're back. I received a call saying Wage has died on the battlefield, and they want us to go there," Agnes said sadly. "Then I'll go with you," Yang Xi said, taking her hand as they headed toward the square. Since every time they went to claim fallen soldiers it was at the square, Wage's parents and sisters had also rushed there from their nearby village upon hearing the devastating news. A crowd of women wept together, making Yang Xi sigh at the cruelty of war.