Meaning: a porridge and a meal are hard to come by; For half silk or half wisp of clothes, always remember that it is very difficult to make these materials.

Source: Late Ming and Early Qing Dynasty? "Zhu Jiaxun"

Excerpt from the original text: get up at dawn, sweep the courtyard, clean and tidy inside and outside, rest when you are sleepy, close the door and be careful yourself. It is not easy to think about a porridge and a meal; It is difficult to keep thinking about material resources.

Get up at dawn every morning, sprinkle water on the ground inside and outside the court before sweeping the floor to make it clean and tidy; At dusk, you should have a rest and check for yourself whether the door is locked. For a porridge and a meal, it is hard to think about it; For half-silk or half-thread clothes, we should always remember that it is very difficult to produce these materials.

Extended data:

Creative background:

Zhu Zi's Family Instructions is an enlightenment textbook based on family morality written by Zhu Bailu. "Family Instructions of Zhu Zi" is only 524 words, which brilliantly expounds the ways of self-cultivation and family management, and is a masterpiece of family education. Among them, many contents inherited the excellent characteristics of China traditional culture, such as respecting teachers and valuing morality, managing the family diligently, and living in harmony with neighbors.

Appreciation of works:

A porridge and a meal, half a silk and half a wisp, are hard-won gains of labor, even if they are not expensive, they cannot be wasted. Vigorously carry forward the traditional virtues of diligence and thrift, and make loving and saving grain a good social fashion. Start from everyone and every family, and form a good habit of saving and cherishing food. Don't spend too much when going out to eat, and put an end to the waste on the table.