A man from southern China became the victim of a vegetable scammer, thinking that what he bought was a legitimate "sacred" vegetable.

The man, who hails from Xiaogan in Hubei province, bought what he believed to be a "sacred root," a yam oddly shaped like a man. He reportedly paid 8,000 yuan for the strangely shaped root crop.

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According to ancient Chinese beliefs, a plant shaped like a human was given life by deities and that anybody who eats them will also be given improved health and an even longer lifespan. This odd-looking yam, however, was created through the process of putting the plant in a specially-shaped container that is able to manipulate its shape and form as it grows.

The human-shaped yam was reportedly sold by a farmer on the side of a road in Xiaochang county. Authorities said that many people across China had fallen into similar cheating scams.

One good thing about the human-shaped yam, though, is that the buyer did not experience any ill effects to his health, only to his pocket. In another report, it is said that a man from Anhui province died from taking a prescribed herbal plant to help him with his hair loss problem.

The man, 26-year-old Cui Fei of Anhui province, was preparing to look for a job that he'll work in once he graduates. However, having hair loss problems, Cui sought for help to look for a remedy. 

Cui was later prescribed by doctors a herbal tonic that contained a plant called Heshouwu, a plant used to treat hair loss in traditional Chinese medicine. Because he ingested a huge amount of the plant-containing medicine over time, Cui suffered from Heshouwu-induced liver problems. He died on December 31 after ingesting a total amount of three kilograms of Heshouwu.

Tagsyam, sacred vegetable, heshouwu