The old man glanced at Chu Chen, who had struck up a conversation with him. Perhaps he found Chu Chen more agreeable than most, because he said, "You fellows aren't locals, are you? You happened to come at just the right time. Betting on Green Skins has only just appeared here. And around here, Xiao Cheng is the only one in this line of business. To be honest, I'm not very optimistic about it."
Chu Chen humbly asked, "Why do you say that?"
The old man explained, "Think about it. How much does a decent antique walnut cost? Five or six hundred can already buy a very good pair. Here, one pair costs twenty, while the pile on the right costs three hundred a pair. Whether the walnuts inside are any good depends on luck. With the time it takes to bet on Green Skins here, you might as well buy a finished pair directly. Just look at how many people around here are betting on Green Skins, and you'll know whether I'm right."
Seeing Chu Chen nod in agreement, he continued, "Of course, if Xiao Cheng took his business to a big city like the capital, he probably wouldn't lose money. Buyers there have much greater purchasing power. Unlike here, where every penny has to be split in two before being spent. But he insists on trying to develop the market here, and he's even doing this out of season. Don't you think that's just increasing his costs?"
Hearing this, Chu Chen asked curiously, "Old man, why doesn't he take his business to a bigger city?"
"Isn't it because he's having a falling-out with his father?"
The old man explained with a laugh, "Old Cheng doesn't approve of him doing this. He's stubborn and insists on it, and he