Translated by Carlos Rojas, published by CN Times Books May, 2017.

“Set against the transformations and development of the town Yingzhen, The Lantern Bearer centers on the life of a female college student named “Daideng” (literally “Carry the Light”), who comes to the Qinling Mountain area to work for the local Yingzhen government. […] Daideng has a noble and pure heart, but she also cares about the villagers and tries her best to protect their interests while observing her duties. In covering many social problems, including illegal construction, violent demolitions, and the silencing of the villagers’ petitions, Jia refrains from altering or smoothing over reality while showing social problems and people’s responses to them. ”
– Duo Jin, Chinese Literature Today