家人 → 小過

Commentary

Wind from fire nourishes the family line, but here the generative chain breaks down entirely. An old horse sires no foals; a sick hen hatches no chicks. Three hens roost alone, and advantage lies only in the mountain's northern shadow. The imagery of barren animals is relentless: every creature that should reproduce fails to do so. The household's biological continuity is severed. The 'northern mountain' — the shaded, yin side — suggests that whatever small benefit remains lies in withdrawal and concealment rather than growth. From The Family to Small Exceeding, thunder above the mountain delivers more force than the situation warrants. Small Exceeding counsels modesty in a time of limited capacity; the family with no offspring must accept its diminished state and find what little shelter the mountain's shadow provides.