Chapter 3 has its own captivating charm.

Soon the operating room door opened, and Director Yang was taken to the ICU for close monitoring with a ventilator. Yang Zeyan could not go in and could only watch his father from outside the glass door.

Director Jiang said, "Commander Yang, don't worry, you'll recover quickly with proper rest."

Yang Zeyan finally breathed a sigh of relief. He checked his watch; it was already six o'clock in the evening.

Rao Xue was still trying to persuade Du Ruoxia: "Little sister, you will definitely benefit a lot from learning from Director Jiang. Are you really not going to stay and study medicine?"

Rao Xue felt that Du Ruoxia's decision to go to the countryside as an educated youth was a waste of her talents and a real pity.

"No, if I really find this path suitable for me later, we will definitely meet again. But for now, I don't want to take this path."

Du Ruoxia's eyes revealed determination.

Rao Xue thought she was very thoughtful and didn't seem like a seventeen-year-old girl at all; she was too mature and composed.

Du Ruoxia was aware of the trajectory of the times. The college entrance examination would be reinstated in two years. If she wanted to study medicine then, she could take the college entrance examination to get into medical school and become a doctor.

But now...

In her previous life, she graduated with a doctorate at the age of twenty-nine and then rose to the position of associate chief physician at the city's central hospital. She lived a life of hardship for ten years before dying suddenly before the age of forty. She had never truly enjoyed life.

Now that God has given her a second chance at life, she wants to enjoy herself to the fullest before thinking about studying medicine.

Seeing this, Rao Xue knew she couldn't persuade them, and just then the nurse called her, so she went to take care of that.

Just as Du Ruoxia was about to go home, Yang Zeyan called her back—

"Miss Du!"

"What's wrong?"

"Thank you for saving my father. May I treat you to a meal as a token of my gratitude?"

Speaking of food, Du Ruoxia's stomach rumbled; she was indeed a little hungry.

Du Ruoxia thought they would head straight to the state-run restaurant for a meal, but unexpectedly Yang Zeyan stopped when they passed the supply and marketing cooperative.

"What's wrong? Can't walk anymore?" Du Ruoxia asked.

She was still thinking to herself, "This man looks so energetic in his military uniform, how come he has such poor stamina? How come he gets tired after walking just a few steps?"

"Let me buy you two outfits."

Yang Zeyan saw the bloodstains on Du Ruoxia's clothes. She was his father's savior, and no amount of gratitude was too much.

"I didn't expect you to be so thoughtful." Du Ruoxia smiled, almost forgetting that she was still wearing these blood-stained clothes.

We're going to a restaurant for dinner soon, and it's really inappropriate to wear this outfit.

They entered the supply and marketing cooperative, where the air was filled with the unique scent of cotton cloth, wool, and mothballs.

“Miss Du, I don’t have a good eye for fashion. You can pick whatever you like, and I’ll pay for it.”

Someone's paying!

Du Ruoxia's eyes lit up immediately. At this moment, the image of a tall and imposing CEO was embodied in Yang Zeyan.

She feigned politeness and said, "I'm so sorry!"

"However, I cannot refuse such hospitality, so I will not stand on ceremony."

"Comrade, please bring me those two blue and white shirts, those two skirts, that beige polyester collared shirt, and that yellow polka dot skirt and pink floral skirt."

The sales clerk was taken aback, not expecting this woman to have such a "discerning" eye, picking out several trendy and expensive items from the display case.

The saleswoman tiptoed and carefully took several pieces of clothing down from the hanging wire.

Du Ruoxia immediately put together a blue shirt and black culottes and went to the fitting room to change.

She was admiring herself in the mirror, then turned to Yang Zeyan and asked, "Do I look good?"

Yang Zeyan looked closely and saw that her skin was yellowish, probably due to malnutrition. She had a small oval face, slightly upturned eyebrows, and a slightly upturned nose with a playful look. She was beautiful even without makeup.

"nice."

Yang Zeyan stared for a while, then his face flushed red. He quickly looked away and saw the coats and sweaters hanging on the rack, so he changed the subject:

"Miss Du, you're going to the countryside tomorrow, so please buy a few sets of warm clothes."

Du Ruoxia followed Yang Zeyan's gaze and immediately took a liking to a light blue sweater and a white suit jacket.

"It cost a total of twenty-seven dollars and fifty cents, forty-six feet of cloth coupons, and five industrial vouchers."

As the salesperson quoted the price, her eyes couldn't help but glance at Yang Zeyan. This price and the requirement for ration coupons were absolutely a luxury for ordinary families.

Yang Zeyan saw another navy blue floral dress, which he felt would suit Du Ruoxia very well.

Then he turned to Du Ruoxia, lowering his voice slightly, with an undeniable gentleness: "How about that dress?"

Du Ruoxia looked over; she liked it!

Yang Zeyan could tell from Du Ruoxia's eyes that she had taken a liking to it, so he smiled slightly and said, "Wrap it up."

The sales clerk quickly prepared the receipt, and Yang Zeyan signed and paid promptly. The brand-new clothes were carefully folded, wrapped in rough kraft paper, and then tied securely with paper rope.

Wearing her new clothes to dinner, Du Ruoxia couldn't have been happier.

Upon arriving at the state-run restaurant, Yang Zeyan handed over the ordering power to Du Ruoxia, who unceremoniously ordered braised pork trotters with soybeans, eggplant with minced meat, stir-fried snails, and a vegetable dish.

She then handed the menu to Yang Zeyan so he could add more, and Yang Zeyan added a pork rib and lotus root soup.

"Oh right, I still don't know your name!" Du Ruoxia suddenly remembered this. She had spent so much money on clothes and treated her to a meal, and she didn't even know her name.

For some reason, Yang Zeyan felt a sense of loss welling up from the bottom of his heart. He smiled politely and nodded, saying, "My name is Yang Zeyan, Ze as in nourishing all things, and Yan as in writing brush, ink, paper and inkstone."

In return, Du Ruoxia introduced herself again: "Hello, my name is Du Ruoxia, Xia as in summer."

Soon all the dishes were served, and Du Ruoxia's eyes were immediately drawn to them. After several days of vegetarianism, she was finally able to eat meat.

She eats rather hastily. In her past life, her time was her patients' life, so she was always in a rush when eating and rarely had the chance to sit down and savor the food.

Looking at Yang Zeyan's every move, Du Ruoxia couldn't help but think of a saying—elegance is etched into one's bones.

Perhaps because he was concerned about Yang Songbai's condition, Yang Zeyan did not have a good appetite and did not eat much.

After Du Ruoxia finished eating and drinking, Yang Zeyan paid the bill and also packed some peach shortbread and pastries to take home before sending Du Ruoxia home.

"Would you like to stay and learn from Director Jiang? If so, I can help you."

Yang Zeyan said he could help her with the matter of going to the countryside.

"Thank you! But I really want to go to the countryside; I really don't want to study medicine right now."

She has been on the medical path for twenty years, a path that has been tedious and monotonous. Now, she just wants to experience different scenery.

Moreover, given her experience and knowledge, if she wanted to continue being a doctor, she really didn't need to stay by anyone's side to learn.

"good."

Under the lights, Du Ruoxia's smile was bright and confident, and Yang Zeyan's gaze was unconsciously drawn to her.

When they reached the alley entrance, Du Ruoxia stopped Yang Zeyan from seeing her off any further. If they ran into the Du family members inside, she would inevitably be lectured again. It wasn't that she couldn't win the argument, but it was just too much trouble.

"The effects of the anesthesia on your father should have worn off by now. You can chat with him when you get back. He needs to rest and recuperate properly, so don't let him overthink things," Du Ruoxia instructed.

Yang Zeyan nodded. "Okay."

"Then I'll head back now, bye-bye! Thank you for the gifts, and the food was delicious!"

"By the way, which rural area are you going to work in?"

"Yuxi Village!"