an inch of silk and half a grain of rice -- a little bit
It's a Chinese idiom. Pinyin is C ù ns ī B à ns ù, which means to compare tiny things. It comes from the 40th chapter of scholars by Wu Jingzi of Qing Dynasty.
Idiom explanation
It's a metaphor for tiny things.
The origin of Idioms
Son can't pinch a penny to honor his father, but he has to spend his father's property. He really can't compare himself with others. He is extremely ashamed! (the 40th chapter of scholars by Wu Jingzi in Qing Dynasty)
Chinese PinYin : cùn sī bàn sù
an inch of silk and half a grain of rice -- a little bit
Break the family for the country. pò jiā wéi guó
investigate sb . 's fault and try to punish him. yǐn shéng pái gēn