The Retirement of Lan Sheng, Master Craftsman of Northern Beijing

The Lans' ancestors settled in Beijing after passing the jinshi examination during the Ming dynasty. This branch of the family lives in a village north of the capital. After graduating from junior high, Lan Sheng returned to the village to work. At eighteen, he got a factory job. Through constant study and hard work, he became a senior technician and postponed his retirement by a year. He chose the online name Jingbei Master Craftsman. After his ex-wife, Old Jian, left, Lan Sheng tried to find someone else but had no luck. He bought a house in Jiangnan with his own money, putting it in his daughter's name, so he could spend the winters there. Once he arrived, he applied for a job at a factory operating CNC machine tools and passing on his skills to younger workers. Through Engineer Kou at the company, he was introduced to Old Luo, a local farmer, as a wife. They decided not to register their marriage at first. Lan Sheng covered her living expenses, while Old Luo took care of the housework and didn't trouble herself with or ask about anything outside the home. By the end of 2021, they had fallen in love and no longer wanted to be apart, so they registered their marriage. In 2023, at the age of sixty-seven, Lan Sheng officially retired and left the factory, putting international standards into practice.