Jīhuāng niándài, néng chī shàng cángēngshèngfàn jiù bùcuò le.
In times of famine, even scraps were a luxury.
Tips
usage
Strong figurative use: refers not just to literal table scraps but to whatever is left over after others have taken the best — a humiliating second-class share. The four characters split into two synonymous pairs: 残羹 'leftover soup' + 剩饭 'remaining rice'. The doubling intensifies the sense of shabbiness.
register
Often pejorative when used metaphorically: accepting someone's 残羹剩饭 implies dependency or loss of dignity. Common in social-criticism contexts (geopolitical leftovers, second-hand opportunities, etc.).
