Describes extreme poverty, where a family has gone without food for so long that dust has accumulated in the steamer and fish-like creatures have bred in the pot due to disuse. It can also metaphorically refer to an official who is incorruptible and lives a simple, austere life.
Era:
Ancient
Frequency:
Story:
During the Han Dynasty, Fan Ran was persecuted and banned from holding office by the eunuch faction. He had no choice but to resign from his post and wander with his wife, pushing a deer-cart.
Often, when they had no money for an inn, they would rest under the shade of trees. After more than ten years, he finally built a simple thatched cottage.
They frequently ran out of food and survived by eating wild vegetables. His fellow villagers, witnessing his impoverished state, mocked him by saying, 'Fan Shiyun has dust in his steamer, Fan Laiwu has fish in his pot,' referring to the long periods when their cooking utensils lay unused due to lack of food.