The writing has a very direct, almost video game-like quality to it. The descriptions are functional: “Getting good, getting good, getting good.” It doesn’t waste time on flowery prose about the sunset or beautiful forests. It’s all about the next objective, the next hunt, the next power-up. It makes the pacing feel fast and urgent.
The setting—1978, Qin Family Village, back mountain, educated youths—is evocative but the historical details feel a bit thin. We get mentions of “Production Brigade” and “sent down to the countryside,” but the texture of daily life in that era is missing. Things like ration tickets, communal farming, political slogans—those are glossed over in favor of action and space mechanics. For me, that’s a missed opportunity for atmosphere. A few more specific period details would ground the fantasy in reality and make the contrast with her modern supermarket feel sharper. Right now, the 1978 setting is mostly a backdrop for tropes rather than a lived-in world.