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In ancient China, there was a remote little village where the people led a peaceful yet impoverished life. In this village lived an elderly woman who was not only the poorest but also the loneliest. She had no children, no relatives, and no friends, only a dilapidated thatched cottage to call home. To make ends meet, she worked the fields and took on odd jobs, sustaining herself with simple meals of coarse grains and vegetable leaves. Despite her poverty, she had a kind heart, was always ready to help others, and never complained about her own fate.
One day, while having her meal, she noticed a small snake in her bowl. This snake was unlike any ordinary one; it had a horn on its head, shining like gold, resembling a dragon's emblem. The old woman felt no fear and found the snake rather endearing, so she shared her meal with it. The snake, grateful for her kindness, followed her back to her thatched cottage, where it made a nest beneath her bed. From then on, whenever the old woman had her meals, the snake would emerge from under the bed to share food with her. The old woman considered the snake her own child and named it "Xiao Long." Xiao Long, in turn, grew fond of the old woman, regarding her as its mother.
As time passed, Xiao Long, having fed on the old woman's meals, grew larger and larger, eventually reaching a length of over ten feet. It could no longer hide under the bed, so it started coming out at night, wandering around the village. The village chief owned a prized horse, which he had obtained at great cost from afar. This horse was robust and magnificent, running with incredible speed. The village chief deeply cherished this horse, feeding it the best fodder and water every day. He also frequently flaunted his wealth and status by riding the horse through the village.
One fateful night, Xiao Long spotted this horse and was instantly drawn to it. It believed the horse would be a delicious meal, so it quietly approached the horse's stable, used its horn to pierce the horse's throat, and then drained the horse's blood. The next morning, the village chief discovered his beloved horse lifeless in the stable, with two small puncture wounds on its body. Overcome with grief and anger, he began inquiring about the culprit. Some villagers claimed to have seen a large snake passing by his house during the night, leading him to suspect that this snake had killed his horse.
He immediately gathered a group of men and went in search of the snake. They scoured the entire village but found no trace of the serpent. Ultimately, they reached the old woman's thatched cottage and heard the hissing sounds from within. The village chief concluded that the snake was hiding there, so he rushed into the house, apprehended the old woman, and held a knife to her throat, threatening, "Hand over the giant snake you're keeping, or I will kill you!" Terrified, the old woman trembled and, not knowing that the snake was responsible for the horse's death, instinctively tried to protect her child, saying, "It's under the bed." The village chief took a shovel and began digging the ground, but the deeper they dug, the more they failed to find any trace of Xiao Long. Frustrated and believing that the old woman was deceiving him, the village chief grew more furious and tragically killed the old woman.
Upon hearing of the old woman's death, Xiao Long, speaking in human words, berated the village chief, "Why did you kill my mother? I will surely avenge her!" It decided to use its supernatural powers to bring about the destruction of the entire village. From that night onwards, thunder and wind were heard, echoing through the sky. Then, on that very night, the entire village and the surrounding forty miles suddenly sank beneath the water, becoming a lake. Only the old woman's house remained intact, and it has endured to this day. Fishermen often fish in the lake, and they always spend a night in the old woman's house. When strong winds and waves are raging, they observe that the water surface beside the house remains calm while the rest of the lake is turbulent. When the wind subsides and the water clears, they can still see the city walls and buildings on the lakebed, perfectly visible.