fǎn​qiú​fù​chú

to live in poverty

Senses

反裘负刍/ 反裘負芻 fǎn​qiú​fù​chú to live in poverty

Literally "to wear one's fur coat inside out while carrying firewood"; describes a life of poverty and hard work.

反裘负刍/ 反裘負芻 fǎn​qiú​fù​chú to be foolish

Metaphorically refers to acting stupidly or mixing up the important and the trivial, similar to someone wearing a fur coat inside out to protect the fur only to have the leather backing worn away.

References

variant 反裘负刍/反裘負芻 反裘负薪/反裘負薪