<p>Teaching involves significant emotional demands, requiring teachers to regulate their internal emotions and outward expressions to meet professional expectations. While emerging research has examined novice teachers’ emotional labor, systematic investigations in challenging rural contexts remain limited. Employing the interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) approach, this study investigated the emotional labor of 14 rural novice teachers (RNTs) in China. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, focusing on RNTs’ emotional labor experiences and how they make meaning of these experiences. The findings reveal that emotional labor is integral to professional practice, involving both emotional regulation and the transformation of identities to align with professional expectations. Teachers invest significant efforts not only in regulating internal emotions but also in managing emotional expressions through embodied practice. However, overwhelming institutional pressures often force them to engage in surface acting, leading to their powerlessness and burnout. Their expression of genuine emotions can foster meaningful connections with students and professional fulfillment, but risks becoming unsustainable without adequate support. Based on this comprehensive and nuanced understanding of emotional labor, this study provides valuable insights for global researchers and practitioners to enhance the overall well-being and retention of RNTs.</p>