The next day, when Zhao Huanhuan got up, Lin Yuan had already returned from his run, washed up, and was waiting for her.

Zhao Huanhuan quickly went to the bathroom, came back to wash up and get ready, and left the house with Lin Yuan.

After having breakfast at Zhang's Soy Milk Shop, the two of them strolled slowly down the street.

"Is there anywhere else in Yuancheng you'd like to go? I'll go with you this afternoon," Zhao Huanhuan asked with a smile.

Lin Yuan shook her head. "There's nowhere else to go. You took me to see most of the city of Yuancheng that day, and I've been going for a run in the mornings these past few days."

In reality, Yuancheng is not very large. Its actual urban area is about the same size as Shanglin City. It is only famous because it is the old provincial capital and has existed for a long time.

There are also some ancient mansions and temples here, which are said to have been left over from the Ming and Qing dynasties.

Now they are all locked up and people are not allowed to visit. They just pass by and take a quick look at the exterior.

Nowadays, the newest things in Yuancheng are probably the several large factories built on the outskirts of the city and the Yuancheng Department Store in the city center.

On the other side, there's a building under construction, it looks like it's five or six stories high, I don't know what it's for, he passed by it when he went for his morning run.

However, he knew a secret: in the mountains a hundred miles from Yuancheng, there was a military training base. According to inside information, it was being expanded and seemed to be transformed into the largest special forces training base in the Northwest region. It was also rumored that a small military airfield was being built there.

The reason for doing this is due to a geographical advantage. It is said that the surrounding mountains are very high, providing sound insulation and isolation, so it will not be disturbed as a special forces training base.

But this is a secret within the military, and they won't tell anyone.

He knew because his superiors had mentioned it during a meeting when he participated in the last special mission. They had also mentioned it to these individuals from their respective camps who had their own special talents, hoping that they could make good contributions in the next few years. They wanted to use their military achievements as a reason to transfer these individuals with special talents here to serve as instructors and train the soldiers of the special forces.

When he returned to his camp, he naturally couldn't mention these things to anyone else, as they were military secrets, and he certainly couldn't tell Huanhuan either.

These past few mornings, he went for a run, covering the area around the original city, roughly guessing the direction, and making some plans and arrangements for his future life.

If he can be transferred here smoothly, Huanhuan can come back to work here, and the couple will be closer to each other.

He won't only be able to go home once a year anymore.

The two strolled to the train station, bought train tickets to return home at 8:30 the next morning, and then went to the department store.

Zhao Huanhuan pulled him straight to the row of counters selling watches.

Nowadays, almost every watch brand that is familiar to the general public has set up its own brand counters in the original city's department stores. When they saw the two of them come to buy watches, several sales clerks at the counters looked at them, hoping that they would choose their brand of watches.

The two looked around slowly, but the sales clerks at the imported watch counter just watched them quietly without making any move to greet them. Because imported watches are expensive, they could tell at a glance that the people who bought this type of watch were powerful and wealthy; ordinary people would find them too expensive.

But with the current economic climate, which leader or wealthy person would dare to openly buy and wear an imported watch?

Zhao Huanhuan pulled Lin Yuan's arm and looked at the watches one by one, recognizing several watch brands.

She did know that most of the imported watches in the 1970s and 80s came from Switzerland, including Old Roma, Ingenia, as well as Rolex, Titoni, Rado, and others. However, she didn't see as many imported brands now, probably because some of them hadn't even entered the market by 1972.

The existing imported models are quite expensive, with prices clearly marked, mostly above 300, and some even costing 1,000 or 2,000.

Looking at domestic watches, the prices are more affordable. For ordinary people, when buying a watch, domestic brands costing a couple hundred yuan are their first choice.

People's first choice is Shanghai watches, with the cheapest ones costing as little as 70 or 80 yuan, and the more expensive ones costing around 170, 180, or 200 yuan.

After looking around for a while, Zhao Huanhuan asked Lin Yuan in a low voice, "Have you seen anything you want to buy?"

Lin Yuan glanced at it and asked her in a low voice, "What brand is your watch?"

“Mine is a Shanghai watch. My parents gave it to me after I started working. I think it cost 100 yuan back then.” This is written in the diary.

Lin Yuan had read the diary and knew she owned a watch, but he couldn't remember what brand it was. He hadn't considered buying a watch when he read the diary and hadn't paid attention to the brand.

“Then I’ll get a Shanghai watch too. I’ve heard that Shanghai watches are the best among domestic watches. They’re not expensive and keep accurate time.” Lin Yuan walked up to the Shanghai watch counter and said to Zhao Huanhuan.

Zhao Huanhuan smiled, responded, and began to seriously select for him.

In the end, she chose the one that cost 180 yuan for him; the salesperson said it was the latest model.

Upon hearing the price, Lin Yuan said, "Isn't it a bit expensive? I'll just buy one around a hundred. I won't be wearing it often anyway."

He didn't want Huanhuan to spend so much money.

Zhao Huanhuan comforted him, "When buying something like this, of course you should buy the newest model. Others have been wearing the old models for years, so if you wear the new one, you can wear it for a few more years. Comrade, take this one and find a new one, I'll let him try it out."

Leather straps are cheaper, so Zhao Huanhuan chose a steel spring buckle watch for Lin Yuan with a full steel case. Most watches in that era were mechanical and could last a long time. The watch she chose had a larger dial, and this style was still popular decades later. With Lin Yuan's tall stature and strong physique, the watch looked perfect for him.

Zhao Huanhuan looked it over a few times and said, "This one is good. It looks good on you too. I'll take it. My parents will definitely be happy with it."

After saying that, Zhao Huanhuan didn't let Lin Yuan take it off, and told him to wear it while she went to pay.

After paying for the industrial ticket and watch that her parents had left her that morning, Zhao Huanhuan returned to the counter.

After seeing Zhao Huanhuan pay, the sales clerk subconsciously glanced at Lin Yuan.

Zhao Huanhuan knew what they were thinking, and said with a smile, "This is a wedding gift my parents bought for my boyfriend. They are at work and don't have time, so I had to buy it for them. Therefore, you need to write down the price and time clearly on the invoice so I can report back to them."

The sales clerks immediately understood and jokingly teased Lin Yuan for winning over his future in-laws.

Lin Yuan nodded, reached out and ruffled Zhao Huanhuan's hair. This girl thinks a lot, but actually he doesn't care much about reputation and other people's opinions.

But with Zhao Huanhuan's special explanation, he felt a little sweet inside. He wasn't unaware of the two sales clerks' gazes, but he felt there was no need to explain.

After they left, the sales clerks were still talking about it. They hadn't expected that the watch was part of the daughter's dowry from the father-in-law's family. But usually, dowries are bought for the daughter, right? This family is quite generous; they bought it for the son-in-law. It seems the daughter has a watch, but the son-in-law doesn't.

Even after leaving the watch counter, Zhao Huanhuan and Lin Yuan could still hear the voices of those people. They exchanged a glance and smiled helplessly.