The following version of this book was used to create the guide: Chen, Te-Ping. Land of Big Number. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2021.

The collection of short stories opens with Lulu and her twin brother living in mainland China with their parents. Lulu is academically gifted and spends all of her time studying and reading for joy. She brings her parents so much pride for her achievements and she eventually goes to university to continue her studies. As she matures, she grows more interested in social justice and reconciling the wrongs of the Chinese government. She begins writing on an anonymous blog about her thoughts and feelings, drawing the ire of the government. She is eventually jailed and beaten, causing her parents an incredible amount of grief for their lost dreams they had wrapped up in her.

In the next story, a young woman who escaped an abusive relationship in her hometown receives a strange phone call from her ex-boyfriend who tells her he is back in the city. He wants to reconnect, but she is unwilling to see him again. Eventually she does agree to see him and tells hi that she wishes him the best in the future. Bayi reflects on the enjoyments of her life and the simple joy of being young and alone in the city with her friends.

In the next story, villagers discover a fresh new fruit that encourages them to chase their dreams. The fruit tastes different to every villager.

Next, the story highlights Gao and his wife's relationship. Gao came to the United States from mainland China and struggles to connect with his new wife. She constantly presses him to share his feelings with her, but he is more private than she would like.

In the next story, Cao Cao works on inventing a plane despite having no experience with flying. His airplane fails to take off and he instead turns the plane into a car for the village people. Cao Cao is consistently positive.

Next, a young man falls in love with a woman named Lisette despite her continued attachment to another man named Perry. After the men fight, the narrator strikes Perry and he falls and hits his head. He passes away and the narrator is sent to prison.

Further, a death in Xiaolei’s building inspires the residents to ask for a reduction on their rent due to the bad luck. She is interested in one of the men who frequents her flower shop.

In the eighth short story, Zhu Feng joins an investment opportunity with his wealthy friend, Li. Zhu Feng steals from his government office and maintains hope of becoming rich.

In the penultimate short story, Eric travels to the canyons with his girlfriend to see the sunset. He cheated on her in the past and she took him back.