On average, there has been a massively destructive war or peasants revolt or foreign invasion every three or four generations, down through the ages of Chinese history. But I'm sure it is the same sentiment as the Dutch expression I remember from a couple of Dan Carlin podcasts, about ascending the stairs in wooden clogs, and descending them in silken slippers. The idea of a cycle where hard work leads to prosperity, leading to decadence, leading to ruin, seemingly crosses all times and cultures.

I of course know that, just wanted to say that a saying it's just a saying, nothing more. You can think that all is nice and stable and then a guy like Mao and his army comes along and all the sayings attached to the old order of things don't mean anything anymore.