Stick #86: When It Rains, It Pours (Very Unfavorable)
漏屋连夜雨不休，先遮头顶再运筹。保命保本为第一，余事且待雨停收。
Plain reading
The roof leaks and the night rain will not stop — one trouble follows another. Cover your head first, then plan; preserve life and capital first; other matters wait until the rain stops.
Interpretation
This is a very unfavorable lot titled "When It Rains, It Pours." Leaking roof, endless rain — preserve life and capital first. "Cover the head first, then plan; other matters after rain" shows shield life and root before all else.
Situation notes
- Career: Guard post and reputation first — job change waits until rain stops.
- Relationships: In storm, guard each other's dignity first — household matters wait for calm.
- Wealth: Guard passbook and cash first — finance plans wait until accounts stabilize.
Common misread
Auspicious tiers (such as Very Unfavorable) are tone, not a verdict. Name one action you control before redrawing.
Advice
Identify "the head" at once — life, shelter, basic income — and shield it. Put all else on a "after rain" list; touch nothing on that list until rain stops.
From Du Fu: "No dry place by the bed as roof leaks" — the poet covered his head first — preserve life and capital first.
Related sticks
- Stick #85: Adding Frost to Snow — neighboring lot for tone contrast
- Stick #87: Surrounded on All Sides — neighboring lot for tone contrast
Editorial note: entertainment and cultural reference. Source last revised: 2026-09-14. See Methodology and fortune stick guide.