In medieval China, poor handwriting was punishable by decree of the emperor.

In the Book of Sui, the official history of the Sui dynasty (581 to 618), during an exam administered by a palace attendant to assess local officials, scholars who had poor handwriting had to drink one sheng (about 600 milliliters) of ink, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported.

The ink was not toxic, as the ingredients were plant or animal oils instead of the industrial pigments and chemical additives in modern ink. Ink during the Qing dynasty (1644 to 1912) was even infused with traditional Chinese medicinal herbs.

Meanwhile, a loan assistance company in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, had a daily sales quota its employees had to meet.

A team manager, surnamed Zhang, required each member of his team to make 200 calls, invite at least one client and secure one client expressing an intention to collaborate every day, according to SCMP.

One team member, a young woman surnamed Yang, failed to meet the quota on 28 July, prompting Zhang to penalize her — either she did 200 squats or paid a fine of 100 yuan, SCMP reported. Otherwise, she would lose her job.

Yang chose to do squats. She videoed herself doing them on a staggered basis at various locations in the office building as proof for her supervisor.

The footage showed the woman unable to squat properly, then staggering while walking after she completed the 200 squats, according to SCMP. Five days later, Yang consulted a doctor after her urine turned dark.

Yang was diagnosed with rhabdomyolysis. She filed a complaint against Zhang before the labor inspection unit, demanding 15,000 yuan in damages and reimbursement of her medical expenses.