In Zhao State, there was a merchant named Li Sheng.
赵国有个商人，名叫李盛。
He owned a large carriage business in the city, and business was booming.
他在城里开了一家大车行，生意兴隆。
His carriages were sturdy and reliable, attracting many customers.
他的马车结实耐用，许多客商都来租车。
One day, a worker noticed a crack in an axle and warned Li Sheng to replace it.
一天，伙计发现车轴上有裂缝，提醒李盛更换。
Li Sheng examined it closely and thought the crack was small.
李盛仔细看了看，觉得裂缝不大。
Frowning, he said, “Replacing an axle costs a lot of silver.”
他皱着眉头说：“换一根车轴要花不少银子。”
“It still works. Let’s wait until it completely breaks.”
“还能用，等完全坏了再换吧。”
Soon after, a wealthy merchant rented one of his carriages for a journey.
不久后，一位富商租了他的马车赶路。
Halfway through the trip, the cracked axle suddenly snapped.
车行驶到半路，裂缝的车轴突然断裂。
The startled horses bolted, throwing the merchant off the carriage.
马受惊狂奔，富商被甩下车，摔得头破血流。
Furious, the merchant returned to the city and filed a complaint.
富商怒气冲冲，回城后告上官府。
The court ruled that Li Sheng must pay a huge compensation and fined his business.
官府判决李盛赔偿巨款，还罚了他的车行。
Word spread quickly, and no one dared to rent his carriages anymore.
消息传开后，没人敢再租他的马车。
Regretfully, Li Sheng sighed, “I saved the cost of one axle but lost my entire business!”
李盛懊悔地说：“我省了一根车轴的钱，却丢了整家车行！”
"Losing big for small gains" means focusing too much on minor savings while suffering greater losses.
因小失大，比喻过分计较小利益，结果反而造成更大的损失。
One must think long-term and not be blinded by short-term benefits.
做事要看长远，不能只顾眼前的小便宜。
