屈指可数 few and far between
Explanation
形容数量很少，少到能够用手指头数清楚。
It describes a very small number, so small that it can be counted on one's fingers.
Origin Story
从前，在一个小山村里，住着一位老中医。他医术高明，远近闻名，每天都有许多病人慕名而来求医。然而，老中医收徒甚严，几十年来，只收了五个徒弟。他的徒弟们个个医术精湛，深得老中医的真传。村里人都说，老中医的徒弟屈指可数，但个个都是名医。 有一天，一位年轻的医生来到小山村，想拜老中医为师。老中医对他说：“我收徒弟很严格，你要有足够的天赋和毅力才行。”年轻医生信心满满地说：“我一定不会辜负您的期望。”老中医笑着点了点头，并给他出了一道题：“你能不能用手指头数清村里有多少棵百年以上的古树？”年轻医生认真地观察了村里的每一棵树，最终他发现，村里百年以上的古树屈指可数，只有五棵。他把这个答案告诉了老中医，老中医十分满意，收他为徒。
Once upon a time, in a small mountain village, there lived an old Chinese medicine doctor. He was skilled in medicine and famous far and wide, and every day many patients came to see him. However, the old doctor was very strict in accepting apprentices, and in decades, he had only accepted five apprentices. His apprentices were all skilled in medicine and had inherited the true skills of the old doctor. The villagers all said that the old doctor's apprentices were few and far between, but they were all famous doctors.
Usage
用于形容数量很少，能够用手指头数清楚。
Used to describe a very small number that can be counted on one's fingers.
Examples
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村里的年轻人，大部分都外出打工了，留在村里的老人屈指可数。
cūn lǐ de nián qīng rén, dà bù fèn dōu wài chū dǎ gōng le, liú zài cūn lǐ de lǎo rén qū zhǐ kě shǔ
Most of the young people in the village have gone out to work, and the elderly remaining in the village are few and far between.
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这次考试，及格的人数屈指可数，看来大家都得认真复习了。
zhè cì kǎo shì, jí gé de rén shù qū zhǐ kě shǔ, kàn lái dà jiā dōu děi rèn zhēn fù xí le
The number of people who passed the exam this time is very small; it seems that everyone should study hard.