The Beautiful Bricklayer of the 70s

Tao Nanfeng, a seventeen-year-old high school graduate from Jiangcheng, is forced to take her sister Tao You’s place in the 1973 Sent-Down Youth movement due to a broken collarbone. Arriving at the remote Xiufeng Mountain Farm, she and nineteen other educated youth face brutal living conditions in crude thatched huts with no electricity or running water. That first night, Tao Nanfeng experiences a vivid nightmare of a post-apocalyptic zombie outbreak, waking to find a black, tooth-shaped bite mark on her left hand. This mark grants her supernatural strength and heightened senses, a power she discovers when she accidentally shatters a stone and snaps a tree trunk. Despite her delicate appearance, she possesses immense physical capability, which becomes her primary asset in the harsh mountain environment.

The farm’s administration, led by the corrupt Office Director Luo Xuan and the arrogant Infrastructure Chief Huang Xingwu, oppresses the youth. Luo Xuan assigns the female students to the most grueling labor, including road construction and pig farming, while withholding fair work points and basic amenities like cooking pots. Tao Nanfeng and her friend Xiao Aiyun are assigned to the road construction team under Captain Xiang Bei, a scarred, silent veteran with a mysterious military past. Initially dismissed as weak, Tao Nanfeng reveals her strength by breaking a massive desk in front of Director Luo, forcing him to grant her full work points and securing a cooking pot for their settlement. This act establishes her as a formidable figure who refuses to submit to bureaucratic bullying.

As autumn progresses, Tao Nanfeng learns to control her abilities while navigating the complex social dynamics of the farm. She forms a bond with Xiang Bei, who warns her of an impending storm based on his knowledge of the mountains. When the administration ignores his warnings and refuses to repair the dilapidated huts, Tao Nanfeng and class monitor Qiao Yadong organize the youth to reinforce their roofs with pine branches. That night, a violent typhoon strikes, destroying the thatched huts. Xiang Bei leads the evacuation to the farm headquarters, breaking into locked offices to shelter the youth after the corrupt officials refuse to help. Tao Nanfeng single-handedly carries heavy bundles of bedding for her roommates, further cementing her reputation.

The storm leaves the settlement in ruins, but no casualties occur due to the timely evacuation. The educated youth, led by Qiao Yadong, confront the farm director and his staff, demanding accountability and compensation for their lost belongings. The conflict escalates as the youth realize the administration’s negligence was deliberate, highlighting the systemic corruption and disregard for their welfare. Tao Nanfeng’s unique abilities allow her to survive and thrive in an environment that would have broken ordinary people, but she remains cautious about revealing the full extent of her powers. The story sets the stage for ongoing struggles against the oppressive farm leadership, with Tao Nanfeng and Xiang Bei positioned as key figures who challenge the status quo and protect their community.

The narrative explores themes of resilience, authority, and the clash between idealism and corruption in 1970s China. Tao Nanfeng’s journey from a frightened city girl to a confident leader is marked by her acceptance of her supernatural gift and her willingness to use it for the benefit of her peers. The relationship with Xiang Bei develops through shared adversity, as he becomes both a protector and an ally in their fight for justice. The destruction of the huts serves as a turning point, exposing the farm’s administrative failures and uniting the educated youth in their demand for better treatment. As they begin the arduous task of rebuilding, tensions with Director Luo and Chief Huang continue to rise, promising further conflict as the youth assert their rights and dignity.