This saying highlights the cold reality that when you are poor, even in a crowded place, no one cares about you. It underscores the social isolation that comes with poverty, regardless of surroundings.
This is often paired with the next line '富在深山有远亲' (wealth in deep mountains brings distant relatives), forming a common couplet that critiques the superficiality of human relationships based on wealth.
This saying serves as a candid observation of human nature and social reality. Chinese people use it to express a sense of disillusionment with fair-weather relationships, and to remind others to be self-reliant rather than expecting help from others when down on their luck.
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