diff --git a/google/cloud/spanner_v1/streamed.py b/google/cloud/spanner_v1/streamed.py
index a8b15a8f2b..8b0dfb90c3 100644
--- a/google/cloud/spanner_v1/streamed.py
+++ b/google/cloud/spanner_v1/streamed.py
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ def _merge_chunk(self, value):
         field = self.fields[current_column]
         merged = _merge_by_type(self._pending_chunk, value, field.type_)
         self._pending_chunk = None
-        return _parse_value(merged, field.type_)
+        return merged
 
     def _merge_values(self, values):
         """Merge values into rows.
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_streamed.py b/tests/unit/test_streamed.py
index 4a31c5d179..a7c56505c9 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test_streamed.py
+++ b/tests/unit/test_streamed.py
@@ -165,7 +165,7 @@ def test__merge_chunk_int64(self):
         chunk = 13
 
         merged = streamed._merge_chunk(chunk)
-        self.assertEqual(merged, 4213)
+        self.assertEqual(merged, "4213")
         self.assertIsNone(streamed._pending_chunk)
 
     def test__merge_chunk_float64_nan_string(self):
@@ -244,9 +244,9 @@ def test__merge_chunk_string_w_bytes(self):
 
         self.assertEqual(
             merged,
-            b"iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAAAAAA6fptVAAAACXBIWXMAAAsTAAAL"
-            b"EwEAmpwYAAAA\nB3RJTUUH4QQGFwsBTL3HMwAAABJpVFh0Q29tbWVudAAAAAAAU0"
-            b"FNUExFMG3E+AAAAApJREFUCNdj\nYAAAAAIAAeIhvDMAAAAASUVORK5CYII=\n",
+            "iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAAAAAA6fptVAAAACXBIWXMAAAsTAAAL"
+            "EwEAmpwYAAAA\nB3RJTUUH4QQGFwsBTL3HMwAAABJpVFh0Q29tbWVudAAAAAAAU0"
+            "FNUExFMG3E+AAAAApJREFUCNdj\nYAAAAAIAAeIhvDMAAAAASUVORK5CYII=\n",
         )
         self.assertIsNone(streamed._pending_chunk)
 
@@ -278,7 +278,7 @@ def test__merge_chunk_array_of_int(self):
 
         merged = streamed._merge_chunk(chunk)
 
-        expected = [0, 1, 23, 4, 5]
+        expected = [0, 1, "23", 4, 5]
         self.assertEqual(merged, expected)
         self.assertIsNone(streamed._pending_chunk)
 
@@ -371,7 +371,7 @@ def test__merge_chunk_array_of_array_of_int(self):
 
         expected = [
             [0, 1],
-            [23],
+            ["23"],
             [4, 5],
         ]