wèi​wǔ​dǒu​mǐ​zhé​yāo

to compromise one's principles for a salary

Senses

为五斗米折腰/ 為五斗米折腰 wèi​wǔ​dǒu​mǐ​zhé​yāo to compromise one's principles for a salary

(allusion to the poet 陶潜 táo​qián) to bow and scrape for five pecks of rice; to swallow one's pride or compromise one's values for a small material gain or a low-paying job

References

see 为五斗米折腰/為五斗米折腰 陶潜/陶潛