This article examines the development of pre-service teachers' job-related perceptions of teaching in rural areas in the Free Teacher Education (FTE) programme in mainland China. Drawing on in-depth interviews with 22 teacher educators and 11 pre-service teachers, this study found that pre-service teachers' perceptions were constructed through relative perspectives, professionality orientation, and realistic expectations during the process of FTE teacher education. Pre-service teachers employed utilitarian concerns to increase access to prestigious universities to the detriment of their academic interests. The professionality orientation of the FTE programme held a profile of isolated curriculum modules, urban-centred approach, and theory-practice divide, resulting in pre-service teachers' fragmented body of knowledge and weak rural consciousness. Although participants saw significant improvement in living and working conditions of rural schools, their negative perceptions were magnified due to this weak rural consciousness. This study argues that the FTE programme needs to integrate separated courses and embed the components of rural settings in addition to current financial incentives.