Li Qiao snorted, "My brother-in-law brought two pounds of meat over during New Year's, and I heard you grumbling about it. You said, tsk tsk tsk! A family of five comes over and only brings two pounds of meat. Taking clay from a swallow's beak, scraping iron from a needle, even the autumn wind has blown to our place!"
Li Qiao imitated Dong Lamei's disdainful expression and eyebrow raise as she spoke, lifting her arm and tucking her hands in before spitting on the ground, "Unfilial descendants!"
She didn't understand the meaning of taking clay from a swallow's beak, scraping iron from a needle, or the reference to autumn wind at the time.
She asked the educated youth later.
They said it was just the literal meaning, stealing mud from the beak of a swallow and scraping iron from a needle, accusing someone of being stingy. The autumn wind was about shamelessly freeloading off others.
