The Leopard

Name: The Leopard
ISBN: 9787521230260

北雁Writers Publishing House · ChinaApr 2026

3.0

Word count: 170K words
Chapters: 13
ISBN: 9787521230260

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Summary

This is a collection of short stories and novellas that champions the spirit of the times through realistic themes, gathering a series of works by Yunnan writer Bei Yan written in recent years. It presents a range of rural workers who emerged during poverty alleviation and rural revitalization: a female master's degree holder and selected graduate recruit stationed in the mountains to help treat a depressed schoolgirl, a retired teacher who writes with determination to keep a village primary school branch in place, a cultural interpreter who has spent a lifetime at a township street, and a college graduate who returned home to lead villagers out of poverty. They set aside their own families for the greater good, stay long-term where the people's needs are most urgent, carry out targeted assistance, support rural revitalization, and devote their wisdom and sweat to the people—truly embodying the close bond between officials and the masses in the new era. On the front lines of poverty alleviation and rural revitalization, they have moved and warmed the hearts of countless people. "Village Group Sculpture" is both a passionate tribute to the vast number of rural workers making their mark in the new era and a record of this period in the history of rural transformation.

Editor's review

"Village Group Sculpture" is a collection of short stories and novellas set against the backdrop of poverty alleviation and rural revitalization, gathering several works by Yunnan writer Bei Yan from recent years. Its value lies not in grand policy narrative but in turning its lens on frontline rural workers: a female master's degree holder and selected graduate recruit stationed in the mountains to help treat a depressed schoolgirl, a retired teacher who writes with determination to keep a village primary school branch in place, a cultural interpreter who has long stood watch at a township street, and a college graduate who returned home to lead villagers to prosperity. These figures each have their own specific difficulties and perseverance; their sacrifices of family for the greater good are made palpable and credible, and the close bond between officials and the masses thus avoids becoming a slogan. The short-form format gives the reading a flexible rhythm, suitable for reading piece by piece in spare moments and as a literary introduction to the realities of grassroots work. For readers interested in realistic themes and rural narratives, this book offers a record with detail and warmth.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Literary readers interested in poverty alleviation and rural revitalization themes
Readers who enjoy short stories and novellas and prefer reading piece by piece
People working at the grassroots or among selected graduate recruits who seek emotional resonance
Readers interested in Yunnan regional writing and realistic themes

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking long, continuous plots and complex structural narratives
Readers who prefer purely fictional works far removed from realistic themes
Readers hoping for systematic policy analysis or work-report-style content

Reading tips

The pieces can be read independently; after each one, leave a little time to digest the characters' situations.
Pay attention to the shared circumstances of rural workers across different pieces and link them to see the full picture of grassroots work.
Readers interested in roles such as selected graduate recruits and rural teachers can compare the reading with real-world news.

About the publisher

Writers Publishing House China · Founded in 1953

Writers Publishing House is a Chinese publisher focused mainly on literary publishing. Its output covers classical literature, foreign literature, folk literature and Eastern philosophy, with some extension into popular reading such as social fiction and parenting books. Its catalogue contains more than 900 titles, including representative works such as Dream of the Red Chamber and its edited editions, Shakespeare's Macbeth and A Midsummer Night's Dream, and foreign literary classics such as The Brothers Karamazov and Lost Illusions. In terms of authors, it includes classical writers such as Cao Xueqin and Gao E, foreign masters such as William Shakespeare, Dostoevsky and Balzac, and translations by translators such as Zhu Shenghao, Geng Jizhi and Fu Lei. Overall, its publishing profile balances Chinese and foreign literary classics, emphasizes quality translations, and serves both academic and general readers; publicly available information on its specific publishing plans is limited.

版权信息
编委会名单
以民族的情意，打造文学的星辰——“中国少数民族文学之星”丛书总序
礼赞大地根系镌刻乡村群雕
归程
我不就是出了本书
四顾隐庐
谁说我不在乎
安居
花豹
油葵花开
黑马村的篮球世界
梅花谷绝响

FAQ

Is this a novel or a short story collection?

It is a collection of short stories and novellas, gathering several works the author wrote in recent years. The pieces are relatively independent, centered on rural workers in poverty alleviation and rural revitalization, and can be read separately without finishing them in order all at once.

Are the stories in the book true events?

This is a fiction collection; the characters and plots are literary creations, but they are drawn from the real circumstances of rural workers against the backdrop of poverty alleviation and rural revitalization. Readers can read it as literary writing grounded in reality rather than as documentary reporting.

Is it suitable as material for workplace study sessions or book clubs?

Fairly suitable. The pieces are not long and the characters are vivid, making them easy to discuss one by one. Book clubs can discuss topics such as the choices of grassroots workers and official-mass relations, but note that it is a literary work and should not be used as policy study material.

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About the author

北雁 Author

Bei Yan is an author about whom relatively limited public information is available. What is known is that the author works mainly in social fiction, with two titles held in the collection: Under the Night and Leopard. Judging by their subject matter, the writing tends to take social reality as its backdrop, using characters and events to present the conflicts and predicaments of everyday life, placing the works within the tradition of social fiction. Because the author's real name, nationality, dates of birth and death, and English name are not clearly recorded, details of the author's life and writing career cannot yet be described, nor is it possible to determine the specific reception the works received at the time. On the basis of the available material, readers may focus on the two works themselves: together they form the visible body of Bei Yan's writing and offer an entry point for understanding the author's basic orientation within social fiction. Further public information would be welcome to fill in the author's life and writing background.