To bend the worm for extension
It is a Chinese idiom, and the Pinyin is Q ū Hu ò Qi ú sh ē n, which refers to the strategy of taking retreat as advance.
explain
Inchworm: inchworm, insect name, body length about 23 inches, flexing and stretching. The inchworm uses bending to stretch. It refers to the strategy of taking retreat as advance.
source
In the book of changes, Xici Part 2: "an inchworm's bending is for faith (extension)
usage
As an object or attribute; used in figurative sentences
To bend the worm for extension
My mouth is boiling and my eyes are red - kǒu fèi mù chì
The wind swept the autumn leaves - jí fēng sǎo qiū yè
have relations with a foreign country - lǐ tōng wài guó
have immense power to change nature or the established order of a country - niǔ zhuǎn qián kūn
with one 's hair standing on end - máo gǔ sǒng rán