This describes a situation where misfortunes compound each other, often at the worst possible time. It expresses sympathy for someone facing a cascade of bad luck and acknowledges that life can be brutally unfair.
This is a classic Chinese expression of the 'bad luck streak' phenomenon. The imagery of a leaking house and a delayed boat captures the feeling of being helpless against accumulating disasters.
This saying validates the sufferer's pain by acknowledging that some periods are simply cursed. It also serves as a form of communal empathy, letting the person know that their misfortune is seen and understood, which is comforting in a culture that often expects stoicism.
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