悬梁刺股 — “To study diligently and assiduously”

The idiom "Xu v Li ng C G " ( ) combines two historical anecdotes, both illustrating extreme diligence in study. Later generations merged these two stories into a single idiom to encourage people to study hard.

The story of "tying hair to the beam" ( ) comes from the Eastern Han Dynasty. There was a scholar named Sun Jing, who was determined to overcome his shallow knowledge. He would lock himself in his room and read incessantly, often forgetting to eat or sleep. When he grew tired and started to doze off, he came up with a unique method. He tied one end of a rope to the ceiling beam and the other end to his long hair. If he began to nod off, the rope would pull his hair, causing a sharp pain that immediately woke him up, allowing him to continue his studies.

The story of "jabbing the thigh with an awl" ( ) originates from the Warring States period. A strategist named Su Qin, after facing disdain from his family due to his lack of deep knowledge, resolved to study diligently. He often read late into the night, and when fatigue set in and he started to fall asleep, he would take an awl and stab himself in the thigh. The sudden pain would immediately clear his mind, enabling him to persevere with his studies.