A 1970s marriage-first-love-second romance with the Fang siblings.
Notable Actors/Actresses
Chinese Title
The Love of a Pure Era
Network: Tencent Video
Cast
 |
 |
| Chen Fei Yu: Fang Mu Yang |
Sun Qian: Fei Ni |
 |
 |
| Guo Xiao Ting: Fang Mu Jing |
Wang Tian Chen: Qu Hua |
Mini Recaps
Fei Ni (Sun Qian) waves her banner like her life depends on it, shouting herself hoarse on the sidelines of Ye Feng’s basketball game… because she’s in love with the boy? No. She’s in love with university. Ye Feng just happens to be both a member of her factory’s basketball team and the son of Xu Hong Qi (Liu Min Tao), the factory director. Their factory has exactly one university nomination slot, and Xu Hong Qi controls it. (This is the 1970s before 1977, so gaokao hasn’t resumed yet. She can’t just study for high marks to get in.)
Feng Lin is a university graduate who acts superior to Fei Ni when she's actually – clearly – inferior. Director Xu Hong Qi taking her side just makes the injustice painfully obvious. I did not expect to dislike Liu Min Tao's character, especially in Ep1.
Enter ML. Fang Mu Yang (Chen Fei Yu) arrives in Jiangcheng to visit the families of his colleagues in their stead. Six years ago, he lived in this city too, but his parents were “sent down,” stripped of their residency rights (下放改造) – urban intellectuals who were punished and reassigned during the Cultural Revolution. Because of politics, they had to leave their cities to rural areas to do manual labour, undergoing "re-education". At a young age, he himself was sent to the countryside (插队), where youths worked with farmers for years as a living. Back then, he pawned his books to Fei Ni – after she bargained him down, of course – promising he’d come back to redeem them. When she hears his stomach growling, she ends up giving him back all the money anyway. She’s soft-hearted like that. She originally wanted him to owe her interest, but she gave up on that idea. He already owes her too much; expecting repayment feels utterly hopeless. But Fang Mu Yang makes her a promise.
Fang Mu Yang: Wait for me to come back. All the money I borrowed from you, I’ll repay you double.
And Fang Mu Yang is back six years later ~~ with far more money than he owed. Aw. He won’t even spend seven cents on a proper place to sleep and is prepared to spend the night outside in the storm. Because every cent is meant for his first love. Ironically, he ends up safer than the people indoors because the storm is tearing down houses. Fang Mu Yang heroically rescues trapped residents. And – gasp!– did he catch this couple cheating mid-disaster?! And now karma is trapping them under a fallen tree?? No. They're just un-married. Different era, different definition of scandal, lol. The girl is supposed to run out for help, but freezes instead, unwilling to risk her reputation for two lives. This girl? Feng Lin.
Hero Feng Mu Yang lands in a coma. Already, ML? Lol. Director Xu Hong Qi looks toward Feng Lin to care for the factory hero, but she refuses. Even though she did call for help in the end (only after her boyfriend was safe and clear from the site), she doesn’t want Fang Mu Yang to recognize her. Fei Ni immediately volunteers ~ Because what else? University. These are her volunteer hours.
When Fei Ni realizes the hero is Fang Mu Yang, all the messy memories of her first impression come rushing back. Thanks to him, our sweet Fei Ni ends up miserable, hobbling home in muddy clothes with a hurt ankle. He's the kind of boy who tortured his first love. Aww, that's kind of cute xD.
After Fei Ni's full time job at the factory, she's Fang Mu Yang’s full-time nurse. Turning him every two hours. Washing him. Yes, washing him. But when it comes to the most sensitive spot...can she actually do it? For university, she tries! 💪
Fei Ni: Nurse!!! University has its limits too.
Other than that one battlefield, Fei Ni is incredible. She plays music for him, reads aloud, shaves him, and then cuts off his thumb – a piece of it while trimming nails with a huge pair of scissors. Oopsies. He survives.
Fang Mu Yang has a girlfriend?! Well, no. This Ling Yi girl just doesn't correct Fei Ni's assumption. Sly. But now Fei Ni's panic mode is activated because if the girlfriend is here, then he doesn’t need her… and if he doesn’t need her… WHAT ABOUT UNIVERSITY?! xD Thankfully, she's leaving.
Feng Lin is the girlfriend to fear. Her boyfriend (tree-crushed guy) needs a university degree so he can earn marriage approval from Feng Lin's parents. And so she fast-tracks the nomination for him. Fei Ni, caught unprepared, misses the submission deadline because she's been busy taking care of Fang Mu Yang. That evening Fei Ni cries. And right on cue… Fang Mu Yang wakes up. Weak to a girl’s tears even while unconscious.
Except Fang Mu Yang has amnesia. But Fei Ni's university dream has renewed hope: she can go if Fang Mu Yang fully recovers. Fang Mu Yang hates the carrots (good for the brain, Fei Ni says), but for Fei Ni, who's trying so earnestly, he promises he'll do his best. For her. Aw!
But his sister, Fang Mu Jing (Guo Xiao Ting), decides to send him to a senior care home. Fang Mu Jing is surgical – cold, precise, no emotional cushioning. Meanwhile Fei Ni is just standing there like her entire future is being wheeled away on a hospital bed.
Fei Ni actually understands the sister. Fang Mu Jing isn’t cold-blooded – she’s rational. This is simply the best arrangement she can make within her limits. So Fei Ni comes up with a plan: teach Fang Mu Yang how to live independently. A whole checklist of daily survival skills. He’s lost his memory, not his abilities. So please… don’t send him to a senior home. Sister agrees!
Fang Mu Jing is actually carrying a lot more pain than she shows. It only breaks out after she leaves on the train. A hoodlum steals her seat and throws away her ticket, and she just… snaps. She cries that trash like him gets to exist freely, while her brother – who did nothing wrong – can’t even live a normal life. She gets so emotional yelling at him that she faints. Enter Qu Hua (Wang Tian Chen), a doctor, who takes care of her. The brother found a "nurse." The sister found a doctor. Symmetry. But when he casually asks if she studied math in university, she immediately goes guarded. Turns out she cut ties with her family in order to study because her parents were labeled 黑五类 (= "five black categories," a cultural Revolution term and the categories are: landlords, rich peasants, counterrevolutionaries, bad elements and rightists.).
Fei Ni teaches Fang Mu Yang how to cut his nails – an essential skill. Being a man who repays his debt, he cuts off her thumb too, lol. Just a piece. Not a purpose.
Fang Mu Yang’s memory still hasn’t recovered, but he learns ridiculously fast. And he discovers one magical sentence: “I’ll tell my jie you took really good care of me.” That line unlocks everything. Fei Ni will run errands, fetch pork cutlets, coffee, even “wine”. all luxuries.. She’ll even sing for him. Hahaha. She's cute here! And he's actually enjoying the spicy vinegar wine.
 |
| “I’ll tell my jie you took really good care of me.” |
Fei Ni convinces Fang Mu Yang to pretend his memory has recovered, then she gets her fast-track ticket to university. Except Feng Lin isn’t fooled for a second, and exposes it to Director Xu Hong Qi. Uh oh.
The Bad.
Fei Ni’s university nomination gets revoked, and Director Xu Hong Qi is deeply disappointed in her. Which… fine. But does she seriously not see that Feng Lin also had her own agenda the whole time?
Not new, but the teacher Fei Ni has always admired – the person who inspired her dream of university – works as a janitor. Dreams feel fragile.
On the family side, Lin Mei breaks up with Fei Ting (Fei Ni’s brother) and goes on blind dates because he isn’t coming home. And he isn’t coming home because he doesn’t have a house, which means he can’t marry her. But the reason he doesn’t have a house is because he refuses to kick Fei Ni out. In fact, when someone had to be sent to the Big Northern Wilderness (北大荒), it was originally Fei Ni’s assignment. Fei Ting took her place, and she took his factory job instead. He really loves his sister. And the parents let the son go in her place too. This family… I like them a lot. But when Fei Ni learns she herself has become Lin Mei’s obstacle to marriage, she makes a decision: she’ll give up her university dream and start going on blind dates (so she can move out).
Immediately Fei Ni gets a blind date: Ye Feng. He jumped on the to meet her.
The Good.
Fang Mu Yang is slowly remembering fragments. A silhouette. A feeling. It's Fei Ni. She's the person his memory keeps circling back to – before amnesia and after.
When Fei Ni doesn’t show up, Fang Mu Yang goes straight to her home. It’s a showdown with Ye Feng where Dad Fei felt so uncomfortable, he had to retreat. A very innocent Fang Mu Yang also tells Fei Ni that if she needs someone to watch movies with or even go on blind dates with... he can do that too.
Another unexpected positive: Ye Feng turns out to be a no. When he realizes Fei Ni might lose her job once Fei Ting returns, he immediately worries his mother would never approve of a jobless daughter-in-law. Even he looks disappointed. Ah, but then Ye Feng’s mom actually does approve – on one condition: Fei Ni cannot go to university because she’d be away for years. Ye Feng agrees. On Fei Ni’s behalf. Who asked you, sir.
Fang Mu Yang is slowly remembering fragments. A silhouette. A feeling. It's Fei Ni. She's the person his memory keeps circling back to – before amnesia and after.
When Fei Ni doesn’t show up, Fang Mu Yang goes straight to her home. It’s a showdown with Ye Feng where Dad Fei felt so uncomfortable, he had to retreat. A very innocent Fang Mu Yang also tells Fei Ni that if she needs someone to watch movies with or even go on blind dates with... he can do that too.
Another unexpected positive: Ye Feng turns out to be a no. When he realizes Fei Ni might lose her job once Fei Ting returns, he immediately worries his mother would never approve of a jobless daughter-in-law. Even he looks disappointed. Ah, but then Ye Feng’s mom actually does approve – on one condition: Fei Ni cannot go to university because she’d be away for years. Ye Feng agrees. On Fei Ni’s behalf. Who asked you, sir.
The next day: a triple date, haha.
The three of them – Fei Ni, Fang Mu Yang, and Ye Feng – go on a movie date. It’s some loud action flick that completely loses Fei Ni. She’s nodding off while Ye Feng is glued to the screen, totally oblivious. Of course Fang Mu Yang notices. He quietly catches her head mid-tilt so she doesn’t end up sleeping on Ye Feng’s shoulder. Then Ye Feng finally turns, and Fang Mu Yang immediately goes “tatatata,” imitating gunfire so Ye Feng snaps right back to the movie. So… who exactly hit their head here? xD
But what Ye Feng can offer Fei Ni – stability, a job, a house – is too practical for her to ignore. So she cuts ties with Fang Mu Yang by spending one last day with him. And it’s a full-course date too. But he keeps pretending she’s telling him too much information he “can’t remember,” asking her to tell him tomorrow… or the day after… just stretching time however he can. Then he insists he still doesn’t know how to tie his shoelaces. Except Fei Ni is serious this time. She leaves on her bike. He runs after her and immediately trips on those same laces.
After losing Fei Ni, Fang Mu Yang's memory fully returns. And what does this man do? Climbs a tree outside her place to get her attention so she’ll come down. That’s when he learns the real reason she wants to marry – not for love.
Fang Mu Yang: Fei Ni, don’t rush. Once I have a job and a house, I’ll come back for you. Before that, you mustn't marry anyone else. Fang Mu Yang has never broken a promise!
But Fang Mu Yang also hides the fact that his memory returned. Because Fei Ni once said that when he recovered, her mission would be complete and she wouldn’t need to care for him anymore. Sly boy :) So before she finds out, Fang Mu Yang is off to find a job and a house. He's a bit of a nepo baby with connections (just like Chen Fei Yu himself lol). But his Uncle Fu, newspaper director, can't be overpowered in that way. Fang Mu Yang still has to train for two months before he can work at the newspaper using his drawing skills. And since he's the factory hero, he qualifies to get a house from the factory.
2CP. Wait a minute! Fang Mu Jing gives me Ling Yi vibes. Fang Mu Jing invites Qu Hua to lunch after learning his background – doctor, military family, high-ranking cadre kid. He’s trying to keep distance after she accused him of manufacturing coincidences between them, but now she’s the one approaching him. Except her target is very clear, and he immediately understands what she’s worried about: whether he told her professor that she secretly taped her family photo back together after promising she had cut ties with them. He didn't tell. He also asks her on a date. And she agrees…Hmmm. Because she likes him or his background?
 |
| 3CP. I did catch Ye Feng is in the far right xD. But the mom is clearly more important. |
3CP. And then we actually transition to Ling Yi, lol. So Show is winking at us that Fang Mu Jing is pulling a Ling Yi. She only got interested in Ye Feng after learning he’s Director Xu Hong Qi’s son. Both Fei Ni and Ling Yi approached Ye Feng because of his mother lol. Poor Ye Feng? Maybe.
While Ye Feng invites Fei Ni home, his mother, Xu Hong Qi, brings Ling Yi home. Low. When Xu Hong Qi casually sends Fei Ni to the kitchen to cook, Ye Feng interprets this as “my mom treats you like a daughter-in-law already.” My dude. Being handed a wok is not approval. Then he really goes for it. Says women should honour their husbands, raise kids, and that going to university is basically just a step toward finding a better husband. Ling Yi....totally just did go to university to upgrade her marriage prospects. Then as Ling Yi performs on the accordion like cultured background music, Fei Ni demolishes the fish she cooked. Afterwards, she politely excuses herself. Love it!
And the food and drinks Xu Hong Qi belittled compared to Ling Yi’s “artistic” gift? Fei Ni packs them up and takes them back. Straight to Fang Mu Yang. Hahaha. But Fei Ni is still annoyed the fish was nothing compared to the beef her father fed Ye Feng.
Ye Feng is exposed. First, there's Ling Yi who's “interested,” but visibly struggles to locate a single admirable trait, haha. Then the next day, Ye Feng publicly demands Fei Ni get on his bike instead of Fang Mu Yang’s. If she wants university, she’ll need his mother. A minute ago he was disgusted she still wanted to study. Now it’s leverage. Fei Ni chooses Fang Mu Yang. DUH.
Ye Feng is exposed. First, there's Ling Yi who's “interested,” but visibly struggles to locate a single admirable trait, haha. Then the next day, Ye Feng publicly demands Fei Ni get on his bike instead of Fang Mu Yang’s. If she wants university, she’ll need his mother. A minute ago he was disgusted she still wanted to study. Now it’s leverage. Fei Ni chooses Fang Mu Yang. DUH.
Fang Mu Yang is denied the house. Because Feng Lin whispered poison to Xi Hong Qi: bad reputation, political risk, he’s getting too close to Fei Ni, what will people say. It’s such a reach I can barely summarize it, but Xu Hong Qi buys it and retracts the housing. However! Fei Ni has a way to resolve this.
Fei Ni: We’ll marry.
What! Fake marriage – she clarifies. Because Xu Hong Qi’s rule is married factory workers get housing. If they’re legally married, her excuse evaporates. Fang Mu Yang’s heart is exploding, but he still checks if she’s sacrificing too much. No. It's mutual benefit. And so he agrees to her condition that she gets half the house. He would happily give her the entire thing. Then he immediately asks when they’re getting the marriage license.
Fei Ni squints. Suspicious. Did his memory come back? Yes. Completely. He remembers that she loves him and that no one loves him more than she does – which is a bold lie – but it softens the moment enough that she lets it slide. But she's back to being serious. She adds one more condition. And he already knows it. He will never stop her from going to university. In fact, he'll fully support her.
Fang Mu Yang visits Fei Ni’s parents with the exact food and drinks Fei Ni gave him. Which was originally her dad’s. Full-circle dowry recycling redistribution.
2CP. Qu Hua tells Fang Mu Jing they’re unsuitable on multiple levels. Then he proposes. Because he’s not a pragmatist. Her response is equallyinsane logical. She has other options like her colleagues, professors, a doctor who’s already a director, and in fact, she is a pragmatist. He counters that if she’s truly pragmatic, he’s objectively her best choice. She pauses. And instead of rejecting him, she asks for time. And time equals three hours. Qu Hua already knew Fang Mu Jing had an answer the moment she asked for time. He just doesn’t know the answer. Then she provokes him.
 |
| They are not in a relationship where they can drink together yet. So Fang Mu Yang sits separated by a wall window xD |
2CP. Qu Hua tells Fang Mu Jing they’re unsuitable on multiple levels. Then he proposes. Because he’s not a pragmatist. Her response is equally
Fang Mu Jing: If you don’t know, you don’t know how to ask?Qu Hua: Fang Mu Jing, will you marry me?Fang Mu Jing: Yes.This entire proposal arc feels like two people negotiating instead of confessing love xD.
[Ep10] [Jump to: Top | Cast | Comments]
[Ep11] [Jump to: Top | Cast | Comments]
[Ep12] [Jump to: Top | Cast | Comments]
[Ep13] [Jump to: Top | Cast | Comments]
[Ep14] [Jump to: Top | Cast | Comments]
[Ep15] [Jump to: Top | Cast | Comments]
[Ep16] [Jump to: Top | Cast | Comments]
[Ep17] [Jump to: Top | Cast | Comments]
[Ep18] [Jump to: Top | Cast | Comments]
[Ep19] [Jump to: Top | Cast | Comments]
[Ep20] [Jump to: Top | Cast | Comments]
[Ep21] [Jump to: Top | Cast | Comments]
[Ep22] [Jump to: Top | Cast | Comments]
[Ep23] [Jump to: Top | Cast | Comments]
[Ep24] [Jump to: Top | Cast | Comments]
[Ep25] [Jump to: Top | Cast | Comments]
[Ep26] [Jump to: Top | Cast | Comments]
[Ep27] [Jump to: Top | Cast | Comments]
[Ep28] [Jump to: Top | Cast | Comments]
[Ep29] [Jump to: Top | Cast | Comments]
Remarks
[First Impression (Ep1-6)]
I guess the title is accurate: this is 100% a romance. ML has come back for his first love while FL is just as devoted… except her one true love is university. Fake marriage seems to be in the plot too, and I can't wait. If you want heavier family or workplace focus with that era flavour, that lane is more like
Despite the setting, the old-times feel fresh. The show blends modern romcom beats into a 1970s backdrop, creating a nice cross-effect: familiar tropes feel newer because of the period setting, and the era itself feels more youthful thanks to the romcom tone.
Emotionally and narratively filled out. I really like the childhood foundation, 2CP is interesting, and even the annoying characters are doing their job properly. They create friction without feeling pointless, so this world feels populated and dimensional. Very 立體.
[Cast&Crew]
[Ending]
[A Highlight]
[Review & Rating]
Emotionally and narratively filled out. I really like the childhood foundation, 2CP is interesting, and even the annoying characters are doing their job properly. They create friction without feeling pointless, so this world feels populated and dimensional. Very 立體.
[Cast&Crew]
This tacky poster is seriously misleading because the creative team is actually into modern romcoms. It's directed by Chen Chang (Love's Ambition, Dating in the Kitchen, Nothing but You, As Beautiful As You, Lie or Love, and When You Be Me) and adapted by Guo Shuang (Remembrance of Things Past, The Love You Give Me, and Mr. Honesty). The original novel is 實用主義者的愛情 / A Pragmatist's Love / Le Fabuleux Destin by 孟中得意 Meng Zhong De Yi
I’m still generally not keen on Sun Qian in romance, but this role works for her. The FL comes off a bit goofy – whether that’s the character or Sun Qian’s interpretation – and it adds a grounded, down-to-earth humour. And Chen Fei Yu is excellent here as a warm, sweet boy for once. Still a little mischievous underneath, though. Boys, you know.
2ML Wang Tian Chen is busy. He's also 2ML in another airing love story, but set in the 1990s – Our Dazzling Days.
[Ending]
[A Highlight]
[Review & Rating]
Recommendations
Preliminary recs are random / a peek at the list. These may be updated if drama is completed
| Youth | Family | Romance |
|---|---|---|
 |
 |
 |
| Vote |
||
 → Go to February post | ||
No comments:
Post a Comment