啃地皮

kěndìpí ㄎㄣˇ ㄉㄧˋ ㄆㄧˊ

    • to make a living by farming the land

Character by character

Saying俗语俗語

Idiom惯用语 · Rarely used now

Literally
gnaw the surface of the ground
Meaning
To make a living by farming the land. Slightly self-deprecating, colloquial.

Sources