持之以恒【chí zhī yǐ héng】

[Shudan Guan]

A scholar called Tao Zongyi in the Yuan Dynasty failed the imperial examination, but he did not feel depressed and continued studying hard. He always read during the break from working in the field. Since there was no paper in the field, he wrote down his thoughts on leaves and collected them in a jar at home. He had filled up over ten jars after a decade. People wondered why, and he said: “Study must be done persistently.” Later, he edited a popular book, Nan Cun Chuo Geng Lu, based on the leaves he had collected.

[Annotation] 

持: Continue. 恒: Determination. 

Nan Cun Chuo Geng Lu: A note-based novel that includes historical events, antidotes, traditions, and laws of the Yuan dynasty. 

[Definition] Refers to continue doing something with a strong determination. 

 

* If you are interested in Chinese folk tales or ghost stories, have a look at: https://chinesestoriesfolktales.quora.com