"Being a thief in cold and hunger" literally means that people can ignore personality, morality and social rules when they are cold and hungry. If their thoughts are not firm, they may have ulterior motives and start stealing chickens and dogs. This old saying warns people, especially those in adversity, to keep a clear head at all times, to dare to fight against difficulties and adversity, and not to be intimidated and stumped by them, otherwise it is easy to have evil thoughts in order to satisfy material pursuits, and then to make illegal moves.