The aloof military doctor arrives at the unit, and the tough guy can't sit still.

She doesn't want walnuts or hazelnuts anymore; the most important thing is to work hard and build a good future.

"Comrade Xia."

Before Lu Zhenghan could speak, Xia Qiuran immediately broke open a walnut that a vendor had just cracked open and stuffed the kernel into Lu Zhenghan's mouth.

The soft, warm fingertips traced across Lu Zhenghan's lips, and the fingertips accidentally touched his tongue. Lu Zhenghan's heart skipped a beat, and his eyelashes trembled as a blush crept up to the tips of his ears.

"Commander Lu, no matter what kind of person it is, you have to taste it to know if you like it."

"If you taste something rotten or moldy, spitting it out is the best choice. You can't force yourself to swallow something you know is bad." Xia Qiuran stared at Lu Zhenghan very seriously, thinking to herself that no matter how much time passed, she and Zhao Feng were not suitable for each other, and even a leader couldn't dissuade her from doing anything.

Lu Zhenghan was momentarily stunned before he reacted and said angrily, "Xia Qiuran, watch your behavior," with a walnut kernel in his mouth.

"Commander Lu, are the walnuts delicious? Here are two more unpeeled ones for you." Xia Qiuran didn't respond to the question and simply placed two unpeeled walnuts next to him.

"Hopeless," Lu Zhenghan opened the car window and took two deep breaths.

When the car arrived at the military base, Lu Zhenghan expressionlessly took out the clothes and shoes he had bought and handed them to Xia Qiuran.

"Commander Lu, this is..." Xia Qiuran took the clothes, somewhat puzzled.

"These are for you," Lu Zhenghan said with a dark face. "Don't overthink it. You saved me, it's just two pieces of clothing, keep them."

Xia Qiuran looked at the clothes in her hand. Lu Zhenghan had already helped her get a job as a reserve soldier. This job opportunity might not mean much to others, but it was a chance to change her fate. If she kept taking advantage of his kindness, wouldn't that be greedy? She immediately caught up with Lu Zhenghan.

"Commander Lu, I saved you, and you introduced me to be a reserve soldier, so we're even. Here, take these clothes back."

Lu Zhenghan stopped but didn't turn around, his voice still cold. "As a reserve soldier, you earn your money through your own labor. I'm not helping you. This uniform can't be returned. If you don't want it, you can give it away or throw it away." After saying that, he carried the large bags of things he had bought and walked into the yard, completely ignoring what Xia Qiuran was about to say.

Are all rich people this capricious? She wouldn't bear to throw away such beautiful clothes.

In her previous life, she never bought a new piece of clothing after marrying Zhao Feng. She wore clothes that were left over from her three older sisters. The clothes her mother made for her since she was a child were all made from old cloth. The clothes she was wearing now were the first truly new clothes she had in both of her lives.

Forget it, I'll pay him back when I make money later.

...

The next morning, red flags fluttered in the air on the military parade ground, and the soldiers, dressed in neat uniforms, were already lined up in orderly ranks, exuding a solemn yet spirited atmosphere.

Xia Qiuran went to the cooking squad wearing new clothes. To match the new clothes, she specially changed her two braids into a centipede braid, which made her look more beautiful and elegant.

Xia Qiuran is pretty normally, but she always wears the same patched dark blue top, which makes it hard for people to notice her beauty.

Today, Xia Qiuran was like a bright little sun, and her apricot-colored shirt made her look radiant.

"Oh my, Xia, what brings you here today? Why are you dressed up so beautifully?" Chen Xiu praised her first.

"It's nothing, it's just that my old clothes were too worn out, and I didn't know where to put the patches, so I bought a new one." Xia Qiuran didn't reveal the origin of the clothes to avoid misunderstanding.

"So beautiful, this is how you should dress at your age. If I were 20 years younger, I would dress like this too."

Amidst their laughter and conversation, a pair of resentful eyes were suddenly cast upon them.

Bai Yunyun happened to see this scene when she came to get breakfast. Her smiling face immediately turned cold. She gritted her teeth, a fierce light flashed in her eyes, and she walked over in her white leather shoes.

As a formal military doctor, she naturally had to intervene and control any unhealthy trends she saw.

"Xia Qiuran, this is the military base, not a place for you to flirt. Who are you trying to seduce dressed like that?" Bai Yunyun said sternly to Xia Qiuran.

It was breakfast time, and many people were drawn to look over by Bai Yunyun's reprimanding voice.

"Exactly, what kind of person are you dressed like this, Comrade Xia? Women should dress simply. Don't you feel ashamed to be dressed like this?" The nurse next to Bai Yunyun chimed in, as if Xia Qiuran had committed some terrible crime by changing into a nicer outfit.

Xia Qiuran wasn't angry. When she saw the nurse, she felt as if she were seeing herself in her previous life, feeling inferior and timid, ashamed of dressing up, and afraid that others would criticize her for dressing too ostentatiously.

But what did she get in return? Her husband schemed against and belittled her, her in-laws looked down on her, and she watched her parents and brother die. Even when she bought two yuan worth of painkillers, Zhao Feng would beat and kick her.

She doesn't want to be that kind of person again in this life.

"Gentlemen, I bought this shirt from a legitimate state-run store. The government allows people to buy it but you don't allow them to wear it. And no matter how I dress, it's not to please anyone. Loving beauty is a woman's nature, and I've never felt ashamed of it."

Xia Qiuran nodded slightly, her gaze calm, and then looked at Bai Yunyun.

"Dr. Bai, I'm attracting attention just because I changed my shirt, but what about you, who always has fashionable perms, wears all kinds of leather shoes, and even walks around the military compound in a dress on your days off? What's that all about?"

"You, how dare you, a mere reserve soldier, compare yourself to me?" Bai Yunyun clenched her fists, her face contorted with rage. With so many people watching, she absolutely could not be outdone by a mere reserve soldier.

"Reserve soldiers are soldiers too. If the country is in trouble, I will still do my duty without hesitation."

"Dr. Bai, how about this, you help me apply for a military uniform, so I can wear it every day and I promise I won't change into anything else." Xia Qiuran deliberately provoked Bai Yunyun again. If she could get a military uniform because of this, she would be more than happy to do so.

"You wish! What right does a reserve soldier have to wear a uniform?" Bai Yunyun said through gritted teeth, her voice filled with resentment.

"Well, there's nothing I can do about it. Since I don't have a military uniform, I'll just have to wear my own clothes." Xia Qiuran shrugged, looking helpless.

"Shameless! I'll teach you a lesson for being arrogant." Bai Yunyun glanced at the food she had just bought and walked towards Xia Qiuran.

"What's all the noise about? Don't you have any discipline?" Just then, Lu Zhenghan walked in from outside. His eyebrows and eyes were sharp as knives, his thin lips were tightly pursed without the slightest smile, and his cold appearance exuded an oppressive aura that kept strangers at bay. He sternly reprimanded the group.

"Brother Zhenghan," Bai Yunyun said with a wronged tone.

Lu Zhenghan immediately gave her a fierce look, which frightened her so much that she quickly changed her tune.

"Commander Lu, Xia Qiuran is undisciplined. We should expel such a person from the army as soon as possible."

"Commander Lu, I was working when Dr. Bai inexplicably came over and said my outfit was too attention-grabbing." Trying to preemptively accuse him, Xia Qiuran stepped forward without backing down and twirled in front of Lu Zhenghan. "Do you think I'm attracting attention like this?"