Several of these stories have been published previously in Chinese and/or English. The following stories have appeared in the mainland Chinese journals noted: “The Embroidered Shoes and the Vexation of Old Lady Yuan Si” in Seagull (, Hǎiōu), November 1986; “Apple Tree in the Corridor” in Bell Mountain (
, Zhōngshān), June 1987; “Two Unidentifiable Persons” in The Writer (
, Zuòjiā), February 1989; “A Strange Kind of Brain Damage” in Special Economic Zone Literature (
, Tèqūwénxué), January 1990; “The Child Who Raised Poisonous Snakes” in Harvest (
, shōuhuò), June 1991; “Anonymities” in Beijing Literature (
, Běijīng wénxué), March 1994.
In addition, the following stories have appeared in the U.S. literary journal Conjunctions: “The Embroidered Shoes and the Vexation of Old Lady Yuan Si” and “The Child Who Raised Poisonous Snakes” in issue 18 (1992); “Two Unidentifiable Persons” in issue 21 (1993); “A Dreamland Never Described” and “Anonymities” in issue 23 (1994); and “Homecoming” in issue 28 (1997); and an excerpt from “Apple Tree in the Corridor” has appeared in Grand Street (1997).