Chapter 1216

Su Xinghui said, "Grandpa, it's fine. We're just idle anyway, let's chat. We're not from Qingxi County, maybe we'll leave after today. Whatever you say, I'll just listen to it, just treat it as listening to a story."

The old man looked like a talkative person, and hearing Su Xinghui's words, he couldn't help but hesitate.

Su Xinghui said, "Grandpa, don't worry, we are just here in Qingxi County for the first time and want to ask about the local customs, fearing that we might be cheated here. If you have anything to tell us, we won't tell others."

The old man looked at Su Xinghui's car and asked, "May I ask what you are doing here?"

Su Xinghui said, "A friend said there is a coal mine here that is ready to be sold, so I want to buy it. That's why we are here to see this coal mine."

The old man hesitated for a while longer and said in a low voice, "Young man, I advise you not to buy any coal mine here. It's not an easy thing to make money here."

Su Xinghui still wanted the old man to say it more carefully, but the old man refused to say anything more no matter what. Su Xinghui could only finish the rice noodles in a few bites, pay the money, and just as he was about to get into the car, he saw a Land Rover driving fast on the street, at a speed of at least one hundred yards, running from west to east.

Su Xinghui took one look and saw several young men and women in that Land Rover laughing loudly. Their laughter went further and further away, while behind them left a series of screams. This Land Rover almost hit several pedestrians.

Su Xinghui couldn't help but look back and ask, "Grandpa, whose car is this?"

The old man shook his head and said, "This is the car of Duan Shuangli, the biggest mine owner in Qingxi County. This Duan Shuangli also has construction companies and transportation companies under his name, and he is worth a fortune. Young man, think about it, with him here, can he let you make money?"

Duan Shuangli? Su Xinghui keenly captured the word "Duan." Was this "Duan" the same "Duan" as Duan Mantang? However, Su Xinghui naturally wouldn't ask this old man directly. If he asked like this, the old man would be suspicious.

Su Xinghui thanked the old man and drove away with Zhang Bin.

Su Xinghui drove the car to the entrance of a small alley. He saw a group of old men surrounding there playing chess, so he stopped the car and walked over with Zhang Bin.

To ask about some local customs, there was no place more suitable than this.

Su Xinghui stood outside the crowd, watching two old men playing chess. One of the old men was a bad chess player, and the other old man with gray hair played chess quite well. Su Xinghui hadn't watched for long before he saw the gray-haired old man checkmate his opponent.

Someone else came up to play chess with him, but he was no match either. Not long after, he was also defeated.

He had played four or five games in a row, and no one on the opposite side could support twenty rounds. At this time, Su Xinghui said, "Grandpa, let me play a game with you."

The old man looked up at Su Xinghui and smiled, "Young man, you are so young, can you play chess too?"

Su Xinghui said, "Let's try."

The old man nodded and said, "Alright, try."

Su Xinghui sat down opposite him and started to set up the chess pieces with him.

Su Xinghui's chess skills were learned from his uncle Yu Maode when he was a child while learning calligraphy and painting, and later he played for decades, which could be considered a master at the amateur level. He was evenly matched with this old man.

The two played a game. Su Xinghui played flawlessly, blocking the old man's fierce offensive. In the end, the game ended in a draw.

The old man looked at Su Xinghui with some surprise and nodded, "I didn't see it, young man, your level is really good. Who did you learn from?"

Su Xinghui smiled and said, "I played chess with the elders in my family since I was a child, and I just love this."

The old man said, "Not bad, come, play another game."

The two played another game. In this game, Su Xinghui launched a fierce offensive. The old man was attacked in a flurry, but fortunately, there were no big mistakes. Although Su Xinghui had one more cannon in the end, he still couldn't checkmate the old man, and the two shook hands and made peace again.

The old man became interested. Since he retired, he hadn't met an opponent in this area playing chess. He didn't expect to draw two games with a young man today. He set up the chess pieces again and said, "Come, play another game."

The two played five games in a row, drawing three games, and each won one game. At this time, it was almost noon, and the old men watching the chess nearby went home one after another. They should also go home for lunch.

The old man said, "Young man, I have to go home for lunch too. Are you coming in the afternoon?"

Su Xinghui said, "Grandpa, why don't we find a small restaurant together, I'll treat you to a meal, and after eating, let's play chess together in the afternoon?"

The old man shook his head and said, "How can that be? We are meeting for the first time, and I eat your meal, which is too inappropriate."

Su Xinghui smiled and said, "Grandpa, the ancients said, 'Meeting for the first time is like an old friend, meeting for a long time is like a new friend.' Although we are meeting for the first time, we can be considered friends through chess. What does it matter to have a meal together?"

The old man looked up at Su Xinghui in surprise. Su Xinghui looked at him with a smile. After a while, the old man nodded and said, "Alright, I'll make you this chess friend!"

He put away the chess pieces, took them home, and then came out and walked out of the alley with Su Xinghui and Zhang Bin.

He brought the two to a small restaurant nearby. The owner of the small restaurant saw him and called out, "Master Dai, are you here for lunch?"

He nodded and said, "Yes, lunch, let's sit outside."

Su Xinghui said, "Let's sit in the private room, it's quieter."

So, the group entered a private room. Su Xinghui asked the owner to serve a few of their restaurant's signature dishes and a bottle of white liquor, and started drinking with the old man.

This old man was a retired worker from the Qingxi Rubber Factory, surnamed Dai. After retiring, he played chess with the old men nearby in the alley where they lived every day, which was quite happy.

Su Xinghui raised his glass and said, "Master Dai, come, toast you, your chess is played well!"

Master Dai said, "Young man, it's not that I'm bragging, but in the year or two since I retired, I haven't met an opponent here playing chess. Today, you are the first."

Su Xinghui smiled and said, "That is my honor."

Master Dai laughed and said, "You don't know, playing chess with a bunch of bad chess players every day is too boring. However, we are retired and have nothing to do, only playing chess. It's not easy to meet someone like you!"