food being as expensive as jade and fuel as expensive as cassia—extremely high cost of living
❍ 那时他的家乡兵连祸结，物价高涨，～。At that time his native place was war-torn and the prices got incredibly high.
食玉炊桂shí yù chuī ɡuì
吃的东西贵如玉器，烧的材料贵如桂木。形容物价昂贵，生活困难。high cost of living, extremely high cost of living, high prices of rice and fuel