Tellers

«Tellers» — a novel by the classic of Chinese literature Lao She. The story centers around the dramatic life of the folk storyteller Fang Baoqin and his adopted daughter Xulyan. Xulyan is kind, talented, and intelligent enough to understand the... grim fate prepared for her at the very bottom of human society. After all, she is merely the sold daughter of needy parents, and although Fang Baoqin dotes on her, his main concern is to marry off the talented girl to some wealthy man as a concubine. Otherwise, she is doomed to sell herself on the streets. That is how the world of street performers operates. Therefore, Xulyan's attempts to break free from the vicious circle seem crazy to Fang Baoqin.
 
The novel holds a special place in Lao She's work. Many characters, including Fang Baoqin and Xulyan, had specific prototypes, and in the character of the writer Meng Liang, a friend of the Fang family, one can easily recognize the author himself. In addition to the titular novel, this book includes the novella «My Life» and selected stories by Lao She.