preface
In traditional culture, the strange creature "human-faced snake" only exists in ancient books such as the Classic of Mountains and Seas, and is considered to be a legendary or mythical species. Unexpectedly, in the well-informed era of the Qing Dynasty, this bizarre "human-faced snake" really appeared on the streets of the bustling capital and caused a sensation.
But when people discovered the true face of the "human-faced snake", they were all stunned and creepy. It turns out that everything is just two ruthless beggars who cruelly abused abducted children to create this terrible "human-faced snake" to cheat and beg.
Behind the incident is the evil that has always existed in Qing society - abducting and selling children, mutilating their limbs, and making a criminal industrial chain of disability to beg. One by one, living beings suffered unimaginable pain and torture in the dark corners.
1. Street commotion: two beggars bring a climbing "human-faced snake"
In the twelve years of Tongzhi of the Qing Dynasty, it was summer, and the streets and alleys of the capital were bustling. One day, two ragged beggars appeared in the market, carrying a marijuana bag and holding a gong in the crowd shouting: "Don't miss it when you pass by, there is a human-faced snake mentioned in ancient books, give some money and let you see!"
The common people of this era were curious about strange things, and soon people came together. Seeing the excitement is not too big, they also took out a few dollars, wanting to see what the legendary "human-faced snake" looked like.
The two beggars were triumphant, opened the sack, and when they opened the sack, a large stout snake really popped out of it, and where the snake's head was, there was a baby's head. This "human-faced snake" lies on the ground, seems to understand human words, can follow the command of the beggar, forward, circle, and twist. When it raised its head, its immature little face was completely bloodless, its eyes were blank, and its mouth was whining and crying, which was very strange and terrifying.
The crowd of onlookers exploded when they boarded, some screamed, some were stunned, and some were timid and turned around and ran on the spot. More people came closer, looking at this bizarre creature in disbelief, and you pushed me to see it.
The two beggars were also not in a hurry, holding leather whips and directing the "human-faced snake" to crawl around on the ground, turning around a few times, raising their heads and opening their mouths, and their movements were skillful and sophisticated. They shouted while commanding, saying that this is a spirit snake that is rare in ten thousand years, and those who want money will look at it, and those who do not want money will get out of the way
Soon, the copper plates on the ground were thrown over. The two beggars were so happy that they couldn't close their mouths, and after performing for several days, a large number of people came to watch, and it was rumored that this magical "human-faced snake" had spread throughout the capital.
Second, discover the truth: "human-faced snakes" are actually mutilating children
However, a few days later, this sensational farce ended in a sensational manner that caused a sensation in the city.
The cause was that a learned Hanlin saw the commotion in the street, and he recognized at a glance that this so-called "human-faced snake" was not a spiritual object at all, it was clearly a child who had been mutilated and had no limbs!
The scholar immediately reported to the imperial court, saying that two beggars had made the legendary "human-faced snake" by killing people in the rivers and lakes to coax passers-by to beg. This despicable act has become insane and should be severely punished.
Soon, the Yamen arresters quickly captured the two beggars and took them to Yamen overnight to be tortured. The two beggars were reluctant to confess and were beaten to the point before they spoke: they happened to meet during a begging and found that they were both good at all kinds of tricks, so they had the evil idea of using children to make "human-faced snakes" to cheat money.
One of the beggars is named Ma Long, alias "Ma San'er", an old fritters who have been wandering around the rivers and lakes for many years. He was familiar with the method of "harvesting and cutting" to mutilate children and make them disabled to beg, so he found someone to carry out this plan together.
In order to make the "human-faced snake", Ma San'er and others abducted the children everywhere, beating them all over with sticks and leather whips until the skin opened and the flesh bloomed and they were covered in blood. Then burn the child's hands and feet with hot oil until the limbs are necrotic and need to be cut off. They also cut off the children's tongues with knives, leaving them speechless and only whimpering.
Then, they wrapped snakeskin around the children and made them crawl on the ground to win the sympathy of passers-by; The child's crippled hands and feet cannot move freely, which also increases the realism of the "snake". In order to completely control the child, they also smoked the child's eyes to make them blind and obey orders.
The entire production process was extremely brutal, and most of the children died of their injuries. Those who survive have also become the living dead without speech and with crippled limbs. They were forced to crawl around the streets all day begging for food, and they were beaten at the slightest dissatisfaction, and they were better off alive than dead.
Third, expose the shady scene: the terrible industrial chain of "harvesting and cutting"
The "harvesting and cutting" method used by Ma San'er and others to make the "human-faced snake" was not uncommon in the beggarly world of the Qing Dynasty. This is a terrible industrial chain that profits from the mutilation of children, and has existed for a long time.
Beggars abduct orphans or poor children for a living, beat them to severe injuries, mutilate their limbs and take them to the streets to beg. They control the children with leather whips and sticks, and must beg for a certain amount every day, and they are severely beaten at the slightest inadequacy.
Moreover, the beggars continue to worsen the children's injuries in order to gain more sympathy. They repeatedly corroded the child's wound with strips of cloth soaked with filth, causing it to fester and pus; or stuffing maggots into the wound, causing serious infection; Sometimes a knife is used to cut off a child's limb to create a more mutilated image.
These children, who have been enslaved and destroyed since childhood, have lost their normal human dignity and are forced to live an inhuman life. Many of them die in agony, and even if they survive, they become disabled and unable to take care of themselves for the rest of their lives.
And those ruthless beggars make a living through their suffering, and even find ways to expand this inhumane industrial chain, continue to abduct and sell more children, and create more "human-faced snakes".
Such incidents occurred during the Qing Dynasty before the imperial court banned such acts and imposed severe punishments. Those children who have been mutilated since childhood have become the most miserable group of this era, and the suffering they have encountered in the shadows is rarely cared about.
4. Awaken conscience: be vigilant against the dark side of human nature and protect the dignity of life
The criminal method of Ma San'er and others to make "human-faced snakes" reveals the terrible side of human nature.
For their own selfish interests, they put their children's lives at risk, destroying their bodies and minds in the most brutal ways, and enslaved living people as tools. This is completely contrary to the inherent goodness of human nature and tramples on the dignity of life.
In the eyes of later generations, the behavior of Ma San'er and others has become extremely evil. But at that time, moral standards had not yet been established, the rule of law was not perfect, and such crimes could be hidden through people's curiosity.
Today, we must be wary of the selfish and cruel side of human nature. In modern civilized society, every life should be treated and defended equally. We must take care of each child so that they can grow up healthy and happy, free from all harm.
At the same time, we must also reflect on ourselves and not let the temptation of profit make us lose our due moral judgment and compassion. Only in this way can we avoid a repeat of the bitter lessons of history.
epilogue
This horrific "human-faced snake" incident in the Qing Dynasty revealed the ugly social reality of that era. We cannot simply blame it on personal moral corruption, but rather reflect deeply on the root of all evil.
In today's progressive world, we must establish a basic respect for life and humanity. Use systematic laws and regulations to restrict people's behavior, use indoctrination to cultivate people's moral sentiments, and use tolerance to contain vigilance, so that every child can grow up healthy and happy.
Only in this way can we prevent the recurrence of historical tragedies, fill the light and let the goodwill flow. This is an eternal subject for people in every era.