楚楚可怜 — “Delicate and appealingly vulnerable”

During the Jin Dynasty, Sun Chuo penned "Fu on the Fulfillment of My Aspirations" to declare his ambition.

He built a house and lived in seclusion by the Quanchuan River. In front of his house, he planted a young pine tree and personally tended to it.

His neighbor, Gao Shiyuan, observed this and remarked, "This young pine is indeed delicate and lovable, but it will never serve as timber for beams."

Sun Chuo responded, "Even if maple and willow trees grow large enough to be encircled by one's arms, what substantial use do they ultimately have?"