Worldbuilding
- Time period: The global economic downturn of 2018–2020, during a manufacturing slump in the Pearl River Delta.
- Locations: Shatai Freight Market in Baiyun District, Guangzhou; Tangxia urban village in Tianhe District; and construction sites in Huangpu District.
- Social context: The relocation of manufacturing leads to a sharp decline in demand for workers. The gig economy gives rise to daily-wage work, while urban village redevelopment squeezes the living space of the poor.
Synopsis
- Struggling to survive: Chen Hao, a carpenter from Hubei; Li Juan, a factory worker from Sichuan; Zhang Yong, a porter from Henan; and Wang Haibo, a mobile phone repair apprentice from Jiangxi, meet at Shatai Labor Market and form a temporary mutual-aid group.
Hopes dashed:
- Li Juan faces sexual harassment at an electronics factory.
- Zhang Yong is diagnosed with pneumoconiosis.
- Wang Haibo's phone repair shop is shut down by urban management officers.
- Chen Hao's carpentry skills lose their value in the age of custom furniture.
A shared predicament: The four go from temporary workers to “Sanhe gods,” forming a distinctive community beneath the Shaheding overpass. They endure a series of events, including the forced demolition of urban villages, pandemic lockdowns, and a coworker's suicide. In the end, each finds a different way to make peace with the city.
