In the past, a married couple lived in the State of Lu. The husband was a skilled shoemaker, and the wife excelled at weaving silk. One day, they decided to move to the State of Yue to make a living.
When news of their plan spread, a man came to dissuade them. "You'd better not go," he said. "If you try to make a living in Yue, it will be disastrous. You certainly won't succeed there!"
The couple was surprised. "We don't understand," they replied. "Each of us has superb craftsmanship. How could we possibly fail to make a living? Don't talk nonsense!"
"You are indeed highly skilled," the man explained. "But you probably don't know the local customs. You make shoes for people to wear, but the people of Yue prefer to go barefoot. You weave silk to make hats, but they like to wear their hair down and do not use hats. How, then, can you sell your shoes and hats? Your skills, however excellent, will be useless there. How will you make a living?"
Hearing this, the husband and wife saw the light. "Oh," they said, "so our thinking is against the current fashion."