Stick #52: Many Hardships (Slightly Unfavorable)
前路崎岖石荦荦，行来步步要留神。困难虽多非绝境，咬牙挺过见新春。
Plain reading
The road ahead is rough and stony; every step demands your attention. The hardships are many, but this is not a dead end — grit your teeth and push through, and spring will come.
Interpretation
This is a slightly unfavorable lot titled "Many Hardships." The path is rocky and thorny at every step, yet the final line — "grit your teeth and spring will come" — shows the plight is not hopeless. For now, open the way with endurance: do not expect success in a day, but seek progress every day.
Situation notes
- Career: When a project stalls, review your method; a new angle sometimes beats redoubled effort.
- Relationships: When love grows cold, weather it together — less blame, more sharing; hardship tests true hearts.
- Wealth: When income runs dry, tighten spending; cover essentials first, then seek new sources.
Common misread
Auspicious tiers (such as Slightly Unfavorable) are tone, not a verdict. Name one action you control before redrawing.
Advice
Break large goals into small steps you can finish; record each completed task. When blocked, rest half a day before trying again — do not force your way through while exhausted.
From the tale of the Foolish Old Man who moved mountains: Taihang and Wangwu blocked the way, yet generation after generation kept digging — a sign that small efforts over time can move great obstacles.
Related sticks
- Stick #51: Exercise Caution — neighboring lot for tone contrast
- Stick #53: Endless Setbacks — neighboring lot for tone contrast
Editorial note: entertainment and cultural reference. Source last revised: 2026-09-14. See Methodology and fortune stick guide.