sweat and blood; hard-earned rewards
Literary expression for the fruits of one's toil, often used in contexts of exploitation or sacrifice. The kanji 膏 (fat/oil) and 血 (blood) evoke bodily essence given up through hard labor.
The capitalists are squeezing the sweat and blood out of the workers.
His fortune is built on the sweat and blood of many people.
A Sino-Japanese word from Chinese 膏血, literally “fat and blood,” figuratively denoting the fruits of people’s exhausting labor or wealth extracted from them.