After being separated from my family, I became a darling of the military region thanks to my medical

The next day, in order to clear her name of being "naive" before, Gu Linlin dragged Ye Zhen along and called on Song Sisi, and headed straight for Wangfujing Department Store.

The slogans were shouted at the top of their lungs: "Today we must give my sister-in-law a complete makeover from head to toe!"

In the 1980s, Wangfujing was the face of Beijing.

The place was packed with people, shoulder to shoulder, the air thick with the cloying sweet scent of face cream. Young women and housewives were scrambling to buy the polyester and khaki fabrics from the counter, tearing up receipts in the sales clerk's hands.

"Sister-in-law, look at this!"

Song Sisi, being a pillar of the performing arts troupe, had a keen eye. She pulled a suit jacket from the shelf; its shoulder pads were as thick as two red bricks, and when she held it up against her body, it was quite eye-catching.

"This is the hottest trend in Hong Kong and Taiwan! Wearing this will make you stand out and command attention!"

Gu Linlin nodded frantically, her eyes gleaming with envy: "Yes, yes, yes! Sister-in-law, you're so thin, this makes you look so energetic!"

Ye Zhen had her hands in the pockets of her military overcoat, her gaze sweeping coolly over the two high shoulder pads without even lifting her eyelids.

"From an orthopedic biomechanical perspective," Ye Zhen said calmly, as if reading a medical record, "shoulder pads of this thickness forcibly alter the shoulder line, causing the trapezius muscle to be in a state of passive tension for a long time. Wearing them for more than four hours a day can easily trigger cervicogenic headaches and frozen shoulder."

She paused, then looked at Song Sisi: "If you want to get cervical spondylosis at thirty, or if you want to experience 'zombie shoulders,' you can buy it."

Song Sisi's hand, which was holding the clothes, froze in mid-air, and she couldn't even keep up the smile on her face.

This is impossible to talk about! This isn't picking out clothes, it's nitpicking!

Gu Linlin was not giving up, so she turned around and picked up another pair of flared pants with legs so big that two winter melons could be stuffed inside.

"And what about this? A megaphone! Paired with sunglasses, it'll definitely turn heads on the street! It's the most fashionable look right now!"

Ye Zhen glanced at the trouser legs that were dragging on the ground, her brows furrowing almost imperceptibly: "The trouser legs are too wide, and the air resistance when walking is 1.5 times that of straight-leg trousers. Moreover, in situations where emergency avoidance is needed, such as going down stairs or rushing to catch a bus, it is very easy to trip and fall."

She delivered the fatal blow: "This design has no ergonomic value whatsoever, except that it can double as a broom for mopping the floor."

Gu Linlin: "..."

She felt like she was holding a disability notice, not a fashion item.

Devastated, the two decided to unleash their trump card. A pair of pointed-toe, stiletto-heeled leather shoes were placed in front of Ye Zhen.

"Is this alright?" Gu Linlin asked listlessly. "It lengthens the leg lines, enhances the temperament, and every woman in Beijing wants a pair."

Ye Zhen stared at the heel, her eyes sharp as if she were looking at an X-ray: "When the heel is more than five centimeters high, the body's center of gravity shifts forward, and the entire body weight presses on the metatarsals. Wearing them for a long time can lead to hallux valgus, shortened Achilles tendons, and lumbar lordosis."

She looked up, her face serious: "If this is designed to increase the probability of twisting your ankle while walking, then it's a very successful design."

Song Sisi and Gu Linlin were completely desperate.

They finally understood that talking about romance and nature with a surgeon was tantamount to masochism.

Half an hour later.

Ye Zhen walked out of the department store carrying her spoils.

Gu Linlin's lips twitched as she looked at the net in Ye Zhen's hand.

Five pairs of thick pure cotton socks and three sets of gray pure cotton thermal underwear—not only dowdy, but also practical.

There was also a dark navy blue men's wool scarf, a rather old-fashioned color.

"Sister-in-law..." Gu Linlin was on the verge of tears, "Couldn't you buy something a girl likes? Even a bottle of clam oil?"

Ye Zhen tightened her grip on the net bag, her tone matter-of-fact: "Pure cotton, breathable and absorbent, to prevent skin allergies. As for this scarf..."

She glanced down at the ball of dark blue yarn, a barely perceptible softening in her cool eyes: "Gu Zheng has a neck injury, and exposure to cold can easily trigger old ailments. This scarf contains 80% wool, which can raise the core temperature of the target's neck by 1.5 degrees Celsius, maintaining stable blood circulation."

Song Sisi and Gu Linlin exchanged a glance and simultaneously rubbed the goosebumps on their arms.

Is this what love is like for doctors?

It sounds like I'm doing an experiment and writing a report, but when I taste it closely, it's even sweeter than the fruit candies from the supply and marketing cooperative!

***

We were tired from shopping, and it was lunchtime.

Instead of squeezing into those upscale restaurants that required proof of introduction, the three of them found a state-run noodle shop at the entrance of an alley.

Pushing aside the heavy cotton curtain, a wave of heat hits you, mingled with the aroma of lard, scallions, and aged vinegar. The shop is bustling with activity, and the wooden tables and benches are polished to a gleaming shine from the grease and grime.

"Three bowls of noodles with soybean paste! Plenty of side dishes!" Gu Linlin shouted towards the window, then skillfully found a corner to sit down.

"Sister-in-law, don't let the shabby appearance of this place fool you, the food is absolutely amazing." Song Sisi poked the vinegar bottle on the table with her chopsticks. "Only here can you find that authentic, old-world charm of Beijing."

Ye Zhen took off her military overcoat, revealing a white sweater underneath. She looked clean and neat, which seemed out of place yet strangely blended in with the noisy environment around her.

She didn't say anything, but just listened quietly as the two chattered about the gossip in the compound—whose son got into university, whose daughter eloped with someone.

The noise of everyday life brought a moment of peace to her heart, which was usually tense in the operating room.

Soon, the noodles were served.

A large bowl, with chewy and springy hand-pulled noodles, topped with a layer of diced meat sauce, and piled high with shredded cucumber, shredded red radish, and bean sprouts.

Gu Linlin was already starving, so she didn't care about being a lady. She mixed it up and started slurping.

Ye Zhen picked up her chopsticks, just about to pick up a noodle.

Suddenly, a dark figure darted in through the gap in the curtain.

It was extremely fast, like a startled mouse.

It was a boy who was about ten years old. His clothes were tattered, his hair was messy like withered grass, and his face was covered in black ash, making it impossible to see his features.

He had a clear goal: he went straight for the bowl of noodle soup that the customers at the next table had just finished eating and hadn't had time to clear away yet.

Before anyone could react, the boy grabbed the greasy leftover bowl and poured it into his mouth. He didn't care about the soup, water, or even the garlic peels that the customers had spat out. He swallowed rapidly, making gurgling sounds, like a starving ghost being reincarnated.

"Ugh! Where did this beggar come from! What bad luck!"

Gu Linlin was startled and moved away in disgust.

The shop owner, who was serving noodles in the kitchen with a large iron ladle, heard the commotion and rushed out in a rage.

"It's you again, you little rascal! Haven't you had enough of being beaten for stealing the buns last time?!"

The boss was a burly man who swung his iron ladle through the air with a whooshing sound, creating a gust of wind, before smashing it down hard on the boy's thin spine.

"Get out! Don't dirty my place!"

Gu Linlin was so startled that she dropped her chopsticks and instinctively covered her eyes, exclaiming, "Ah!"

The boy was clearly used to being beaten. He shrank his neck and tightly protected the leftover bowl in his arms. He didn't even dare to dodge. He just instinctively closed his eyes and waited for the sharp pain.

However, the expected pain did not materialize.

A slender, fair hand firmly gripped the boss's thick wrist.

The entire room fell silent.

Ye Zhen had stood up at some point, her expression calm.

"Boss," her voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable air of authority, "you've injured someone over half a bowl of leftovers, and you can't afford the medical bills."

The boss was taken aback. Looking at the well-dressed, intimidating young woman in front of him, his own confidence suddenly diminished.

"This...this little brat is a repeat offender! He comes to steal food every day!" The boss reluctantly withdrew his hand, still cursing under his breath, but he was clearly intimidated.

The boy, realizing he hadn't been hit, secretly opened one eye. The moment he saw Ye Zhen, he recoiled as if burned, his clear black and white eyes filled with wariness and wildness, like a wounded wolf cub.

Ye Zhen released the boss's hand, took out a brand new one-yuan bill from her pocket, and slapped it on the greasy table with a "thud".

"Another bowl of beef noodles, with double the amount of meat."

She pointed at the boy: "It's on me. Keep the change."

"Alright! You're a great philanthropist, you're in charge!" The boss's expression changed faster than flipping through a book. He grabbed the money and ran to the kitchen, afraid that this god of wealth would change his mind.

Ye Zhen turned around and looked at the boy.

The boy hadn't left yet; he was still clutching the empty bowl tightly in his hand, his eyes fixed on the direction of the kitchen, his Adam's apple bobbing violently.

That was extreme hunger.

"Sister-in-law, why are you bothering with him?" Gu Linlin muttered softly. "There are plenty of hooligans like him everywhere; there's no way to save them all."