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有意栽花花不发,无心插柳柳成阴

yǒu yì zāi huā huā bù fā , wú xīn chā liǔ liǔ chéng yīn

Definitions

  • lit. you plant a garden and the flowers do not bloom, you poke a stick in the mud and it grows into a tree
  • fig. things do not always turn out as one would expect
  • well-laid plans may fail, and success may come where you least expect it