After her husband recovered, they continued taking care of the snakes, still hoping to shake off poverty.

The couple's efforts finally paid off. In 2010, their snakes sold very well in the market and the couple eventually earned around 80,000 yuan.

The first taste of success was a huge inspiration that has contributed to her continued success.

Zhou made the transformation from an ordinary farmer to a snake-raising "queen" in just seven years, raking in a staggering 3 million yuan last year.

She and her husband have upgraded from their small, tile-roofed house, and they also own a car now. Still, Zhou is not satisfied, and she is now showing others how to profit in the industry.

"Snake-raising was a low-production industry in the past due to a lack of industry expertise. I want to help my peers by sharing my experiences with them," Zhou said.

Local government statistics show that snake-raising has created about 60,000 jobs in Lingshan and helped ease the local unemployment problem.

Feng Dejin, deputy director of Lingshan's Forestry Bureau, said that Zhou is a very good example of farmers living the Chinese dream, which involves making life better with the spirit of diligence and persistence.

"The farmers in Lingshan are humble, hard-working and possess a sense of sharing, and I believe that such a spirit will create more success stories like Zhou's," he said.