What does turtle slave mean?

A turtle slave is a man who does chores in a brothel.

When prostitutes with small feet are called to accompany guests, they can only let male workers carry prostitutes to the hotel like turtles carrying stone tablets. These male workers who transport prostitutes back and forth are called "turtle slaves".

In her later years, the prostitute's face became dull, no one cared about her, and no one saved her from getting better, so she had to marry a "turtle slave". Pimps often flirt with customers, and hugs are essential. At this time, the pimp's husband can only avoid and shrink behind to do chores, so he is called the tortoise or the glans, which is the head of the turtle slave. In other words, the turtle's wife must be unfaithful.

Why do prostitutes need "turtle slaves" to carry?

Because in the Qing Dynasty, Han men developed the bad habit of foot-binding in order to control and bind women and satisfy their hobbies. At that time, people regarded the "three-inch golden lotus" as beautiful. Prostitutes began to bind their feet at an early age, resulting in deformed feet, extremely inconvenient walking and greatly weakened mobility.

So they need someone to help them walk, and it won't be long before they have a "turtle slave" to pick up prostitutes. As prostitutes and "turtle slaves" working in brothels, their status has always been at the bottom. As far as human rights are concerned, what they did was also a helpless move under the chaotic situation in the late Qing Dynasty.

In the picture, the prisoner is put on a wooden frame, his feet are handcuffed, and a thick and long chain is pressed under his legs. Life is very painful, but the prisoner seems to have become accustomed to it. This kind of behavior without human rights is so common in the background of the decline of the late Qing Dynasty.