Originally, when Yi Zheng reached a few thousand steps on the staircase, he found that, although he learned a lot each time he observed the characters, there always was that tiny bit missing. That tiny bit hindered his progress, making him feel extremely uncomfortable, as if stuck between advancing and retreating.
It was like eating with disposable chopsticks, and when you split them apart, one chopstick is longer than the other. They still work, but they feel awkward to hold no matter how you look at them.
After going a few more steps, he realized that his current state was like eating with uneven chopsticks. If he couldn't even out the two chopsticks, let alone study, just that sense of disharmony could drive him insane.
So, he chose to retreat, seeking a way to make the chopsticks even in length.
