Rice is like pearls and wood is like cinnamon. It is often used as a metaphor for high prices and hard life.
Idiom origin:
(Han? Liu Xiang's Warring States Policy? Volume 16 "Songs of the South") "Su Qin of Chu, in March, is to see the king. Talk about death, quit and leave. The king of Chu said,' I have heard of the ancients, sir; Mr. Kim has walked a long way, and I refuse to stay. I want to hear his opinion. "Yes:' The food of Chu is more expensive than jade, and the salary is more expensive than Guangxi. Worshipers, damn it, it is rare for a king to see the emperor of heaven. Today, I have made the minister eat jade and cook osmanthus, because the ghost sees the emperor. "The king said,' My husband will give up, but I have heard my fate.' "
Explanation:
Su Qin went to the state of Chu and lived there for more than three months before he met the king of Chu. When the interview is over, I want to say goodbye. The king said, "I've heard a lot about you for a long time, just like hearing about sages. Today, you have come all the way to pay my respects. Why not stay for a few days? I hope to hear more relevant information. " Su Qin replied, "The grain of Chu is more expensive than Baoyu, and the firewood is more expensive than osmanthus trees. Informants are as close as ghosts, and kings are as rare as emperors. Now you want me to eat jade, use cinnamon as firewood, and borrow ghosts to see the gods. " The king of Chu said, "Please stay in the hotel for a while. I obeyed. "
Use example:
(Yao Li Zicheng, Volume I, Chapter 26) It is not easy to live in Chang 'an.
Other uses:
"girlfriends cook"
(Qing? Pu Songling's Strange Tales from a Lonely Studio? Volume 8? Si Wenlang): "Song Yue said,' You have a' girlfriend pearl', so don't worry about the axe. There is a cellar behind the house, which can be used. " "
Mi Zhu Guixin
(Ming? Gui Youguang's "Book with Zhou Dianshan"): "The north is extremely cold and almost uninhabitable."
Mi Zhu, Jorgen
(yuan? Wang Yun's poem "Answering Professor Jin Qing" says: "A pale dog's clothes are easy to turn over every day, but a' pearl rice with laurel salary' is hard to live in Beijing."
Firewood is very expensive
(Ming? Chen Ruyuan, Jin Pingmei? No.26): "My in-laws are old, my loving mother is lonely, and my part-time office seems to be empty. Who will run' Guixinyu Granules'? "
Ji Yan has a high cost of living.
(Song? Wang Yucheng's "Chen Qingbiao"): "Looking at the clouds is not without love; There is no plan to live in Beijing. "
Food is as expensive as jade, and fuel is as expensive as cinnamon ―― extremely high cost of living.
(Tang? Chen Shu of Yao Silian? Volume six? "History of the Post-Rulers"): "How can you eat jade boiled osmanthus for no reason? Will Huaibao be fascinated by the country and think alone? If domestic and foreign officials have done nine things, they can recommend one person each to meet the requirements. "
Fan Yu chui GUI
(Tang? Art and literature gathering in Ou Yangxun? Volume 35? People's department 19? Three kingdoms Wei? Should it be? "I am tired of giving back, and my servant is unhappy. Boiled osmanthus with rice jade is still excellent. Although I'm glad that the emperor came from heaven, I'm thinking about rain. I'm not good at it. I miss all the masters, and I am sleepy. "
expensive
(Tang? Lin Kuan's poem "Offering to Kong Langzhong in the same year" says: "The emperor lived in the mansion and sold all the books in cold clothes. Every time I drive a horse to find a frost shadow, the door is often at the beginning of the drum. "
An expensive and hard life
(Song? Sima Guang's "Answer to Liu Xianliang's Letter"): "Although the minister of the attendants is secretly entrusted, the monthly salary is only tens of thousands, and' ghosts cook jade' is endless."