阮囊羞涩 shy purse
Explanation
形容经济窘迫，囊中羞涩。
describes financial distress.
Origin Story
东晋时期，有一个叫阮孚的人，他是竹林七贤之一阮咸的儿子，继承了他父亲的清高洒脱，不与权贵为伍。阮孚为人放达不羁，生活简朴，从不追求荣华富贵。他常常穿着粗布衣服，带着一个破旧的钱袋，里面只装着为数不多的几个铜钱。有一天，阮孚和朋友一起外出游玩，朋友们看到他那破旧的钱袋，都很好奇地问他里面装的是什么。阮孚笑着说："里面只有一些钱，我怕钱袋太羞涩，所以只能放一个铜钱，每天都如此"。朋友们听了都哈哈大笑，阮孚的阮囊羞涩的故事也因此传扬开来，成为后世人们用来形容经济困难的成语。
During the Eastern Jin Dynasty, there was a man named Ruan Fu. He was the son of Ruan Xian, one of the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove, and inherited his father’s noble and unrestrained nature, refusing to associate with the powerful. Ruan Fu lived a frugal and unrestrained life, never pursuing wealth and honor. He often wore simple linen clothes and carried a worn-out purse containing only a few copper coins. One day, Ruan Fu went out with friends. His friends, seeing his worn-out purse, curiously asked him what was inside. Ruan Fu smiled and said, "Only a few coins. I am afraid the purse would be ashamed if it is empty. Therefore, I keep only one copper coin in it, every day like this." His friends laughed. The story of Ruan Fu’s "shy purse" spread and became an idiom used to describe financial difficulties.
Usage
常用来形容经济拮据，手头不宽裕。
It is often used to describe financial constraints and insufficient funds.
Examples
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他家境贫寒，阮囊羞涩，无力承担孩子的学费。
tā jiā jìng pín hán, ruǎn náng xiū sè, wú lì chéngdān háizi de xuéfèi.
His family was poor, and he was too poor to afford his child's tuition.
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这次旅游，由于阮囊羞涩，我们不得不放弃了一些计划。
zhè cì lǚyóu, yóuyú ruǎn náng xiū sè, wǒmen bùdébù fàngqì le yīxiē jìhuà.
On this trip, due to financial constraints, we had to give up some plans.
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创业初期，阮囊羞涩，他四处借钱维持生计。
chuàngyè chūqī, ruǎn náng xiū sè, tā sìchù jiè qián wéichí shēngjì
In the early days of his business, he was short of money and had to borrow money to make ends meet.