In the fiery red era of the heavens, refrigerators are refreshed daily.

Chapter 23. Market Treasure Hunt
Many customers gathered around the furniture, some squatting, some standing, carefully checking whether the mortise and tenon joints were sturdy, tapping the wooden boards to listen to the sound, and bargaining quietly with the shop assistants in navy blue uniforms.

Occasionally, when a sale is made, the shop assistants will call out to their colleagues to carefully tie up the heavy furniture with thick hemp rope.

The used clothing section is located on the right side against the wall.

The items included faded woolen overcoats, washed-white but ironed woolen Zhongshan suits, heavy cotton-padded coats, khaki work clothes with fine patches, floral cotton-padded coats, and even a few well-preserved cheongsams.

Although these cheongsams are unlikely to sell, they are the result of the young athletes' hard work and should not be wasted.

These clothes, categorized and hung on long metal bars or folded in glass display cases, were in significantly better condition than those on street stalls.

Several women gathered around a dark blue paisley Zhongshan suit, carefully examining the wear and tear on the collar, cuffs, and armpits, and whispering about the price.

A middle-aged man in faded work clothes hesitated, rubbing the collar of a thick military cotton overcoat, seemingly weighing its warmth against its price.

The old books, stationery, and miscellaneous items section is placed in a corner.

Several tall bookshelves were crammed with yellowed books, mostly old textbooks, technical manuals, expired issues of "Red Flag" magazine and "People's Pictorial," as well as some novels with tattered covers and comic books with curled edges.

Several people wearing glasses and looking like intellectuals were intently browsing through the bookshelves.

In the glass display case next to it, there were old fountain pens, old ink, old abacuses, old records, and even some enamel basins with chipped edges, enamel mugs with broken enamel, and old thermos bottles with dented exteriors, all with small "clearance" labels on them.

The most bustling and popular area is undoubtedly the "Three Turns and One Sound" section located in the central core area of ​​the third floor of the store.

This place is enclosed by a long glass display case, which displays several items that ordinary families dream of these days: bicycles, sewing machines, radios, and Yang Guangming's goal for this trip—a watch.

The counter was polished to a shine, but upon closer inspection, there were minor scratches or traces of tape on some of the edges and corners, clearly indicating that it was an old item that had been reused after the business reopened.

The shop assistants behind the counter, dressed in neat blue work uniforms and wearing sleeves, were extremely busy.

Yang Guangming took a deep breath of the air, which was mixed with the unique dust of the times, and walked toward the watch counter with a clear goal.

The watch counter is the most eye-catching place in the "three turns and one sound" area.

Beneath the glass counter, a dark green velvet cloth was laid out, on which various watches were neatly arranged.

The most numerous and dominant type of watch is naturally the domestically produced watch.

Classic "Magic City" models such as A581, A611, and 1120 feature round cases in silver or gold, simple and understated white or champagne-colored dials, three hands, and the prominent "Magic City" logo and its pinyin below.

Their condition varies; some watch cases are as bright as new, while others have worn edges that expose the copper base; some watch crystals are transparent, while others have fine scratches; some steel bracelets are silvery, while others have become dark and black.

Besides the Shanghai brand, there were also brands like "Dongfeng" (later known as Seagull) from Tianjin, "Golden Anchor" from Qingdao, "Zhongshan" from Nanjing, as well as "Gem Flower" and "Diamond," with prices ranging from 20-30 yuan to over 100 yuan.

Surrounded by these domestically produced goods, several high-quality imported watches stand out, like pearls among grains of sand.

A Swiss Titoni watch with a silver stainless steel case, which looks like the 307-345 Air-King in sunlight. The white dial has a delicate sunburst pattern and simple bar markers, making it look elegant and sophisticated.

Beside it was a slightly bulky Swiss Enicar automatic watch, its gold bezel gleaming warmly under the light. Further away, a finely crafted Swiss Wittnauer with a silver case and black dial, and a Rolex Datejust with a gold case, a dial bearing the ROLEX crown logo, and a date window, lay quietly on their respective velvet cushions, exuding a subtle yet undeniable sense of luxury that stood out from its surroundings.

These watches attracted a noticeable number of eager customers.

Sunlight couldn't help but draw his gaze to the "plum blossom" and the "Rolex" watches.

Especially that Plum Blossom watch, with its classic design, moderate size, and renowned for its accurate timekeeping, was an absolute symbol of status and taste in that era. Wearing it on one's wrist, whether entering or leaving the state-owned cotton mill office, exuded an understated confidence that spoke volumes.

He squeezed to the counter, pointed to the plum blossom watch, and asked the elderly shop assistant behind the counter, who wore reading glasses, white sleeves, and thin white cotton gloves, "Excuse me, could you please take a look at this 'plum blossom' watch? How much is it?"

The old shop assistant looked up and glanced at Yang Guangming through his glasses. He saw that Yang Guangming was wearing a clean but ordinary short-sleeved white shirt. He was not old, but his tone was very calm.

He nodded, meticulously unlocked the counter, carefully removed the plum blossom watch with his white-gloved hands, placed it on a small piece of velvet cloth specially laid on the counter, and gently pushed it in front of him:

"Young man, you have a good eye. This is a genuine Swiss Titoni watch, caliber 307, 17 jewels, automatic winding, worry-free. Look at its condition."

He pointed at the watch case and dial with his gloved fingers, "There are basically no major damages, only slight signs of use, so it's about 90% new!"

The original solid stainless steel watch band is still there, and the clasp is in great condition.

The key is its accurate timekeeping. I received it last month, and our master carefully calibrated it. The daily deviation is within ten seconds, which is no worse than a brand new watch from our own factory!

The old shop assistant's voice wasn't loud, but his pronunciation was clear, carrying the confidence of a seasoned expert.

He paused, then announced a number: "Two hundred and eighty-five yuan."

This price is almost more than half of the revenue Yang Guangming just made from selling rhinoceros horn pieces!
Yang Guangming's heart skipped a beat.

It would be a lie to say I wasn't tempted; this watch is impeccable in terms of brand, condition, and practicality.

But reason instantly prevailed.

A newcomer to the factory office with no connections suddenly found himself wearing a Swiss watch worth nearly 300 yuan.

This is tantamount to putting a "problem" label on one's own forehead.

Too eye-catching, too out of place!

What he needs is to fit in, not to be noticed.

More practical problems followed.

His gaze swept over a faded red-headed document notice pasted below the glass counter, on which several lines of regulations were clearly printed, one of which was deliberately circled in red pen:
"According to the relevant regulations of this city, anyone who purchases valuable items such as bracelets, watches, and cameras worth more than RMB 150 at this store must present the original of their official household registration booklet of this city. The store staff will verify and register the documents before the transaction can be completed."

(End of this chapter)