Siheyuan: Mastery started in the 50s

After graduating from high school, Wang Qiang faced an important decision in his life. Although his parents hoped that he could go to college and have a stable job, Wang Qiang had already made his own plans. He decided to become an excellent fitter like his father. He knew that this road would not be easy, but he had a passion and pursuit for this craft.

Wang Qiang entered a state-owned factory as an apprentice. Most of the masters in the factory were experienced, but they had different personalities, some were hot-tempered, and some were taciturn. Wang Qiang knew that to succeed in this industry, talent alone was not enough, and he had to learn to read people's expressions and ask for advice humbly. He carefully observed the operation of each master, no matter who it was, he would ask for advice whenever he had the chance, even if he was scolded, he didn't care.

At the beginning, Wang Qiang was assigned very basic tasks: cleaning the workbench, organizing tools, and transporting materials. Although these jobs were boring, Wang Qiang never slacked off. Whenever he saw the masters busy at the lathe, he would lean over to watch and try to learn from their every move. Over time, Wang Qiang's diligence and steadfastness were recognized by the masters, and they began to be willing to teach him some simple operations.

When Wang Qiang first came into contact with lathe operation, he was both excited and nervous. The master explained the steps and essentials in detail, and Wang Qiang carefully followed the master's instructions. Although his skills were still a little rusty, he had already felt an unprecedented sense of satisfaction. His skills gradually became more sophisticated, and he began to be able to complete some simple parts processing tasks independently. Wang Qiang's skills are also constantly improving. Not only did he perform well in lathe operation, he also began to learn more complex benchwork skills, such as precision measurement and parts assembly. These skills require great patience and meticulous observation. Every step cannot be wrong, otherwise the entire part may be scrapped. Wang Qiang knows that benchwork is a skill that requires extremely high concentration, and he has invested a lot of time and energy in it.

Every time Wang Qiang returned to the courtyard after get off work, he would ask his father for advice on what he had learned in the factory during the day. Although his father was old, his craftsmanship was still superb. He would listen carefully to Wang Qiang's description and then give pertinent advice. Sometimes, the father and son would work together in the workshop, and let his father teach Wang Qiang how to improve. Such exchanges not only deepened the relationship between father and son, but also enabled Wang Qiang's skills to improve rapidly.

There is an old fitter in the factory named Master Liu, who is recognized as the best technician in the factory. Master Liu doesn't talk much, but each of his works is as exquisite as a work of art. Wang Qiang admires Master Liu very much. He knows that if he can learn more from Master Liu, his skills will have a qualitative leap.

Wang Qiang had been looking for an opportunity to get close to Master Liu, but Master Liu was a loner and rarely took the initiative to communicate with others. Once, the factory received a batch of particularly complex parts processing tasks with extremely high requirements. The slightest mistake would cause the entire workpiece to be scrapped. This task was assigned to Master Liu. Wang Qiang saw the opportunity and took the initiative to volunteer, hoping to be Master Liu's assistant. Unexpectedly, Master Liu agreed.

After the task began, Wang Qiang found that the processing of this part was much more complicated than he had imagined. It not only required precise measurements, but also required delicate operations in an extremely narrow space. Master Liu did not explain too much, but just demonstrated it himself and then let Wang Qiang do it himself. Wang Qiang knew that this was Master Liu testing his ability and patience.

During the first operation, Wang Qiang's hands were shaking slightly due to nervousness, and as a result, he failed to complete a step, resulting in the scrapping of the workpiece. He was very depressed and felt that he had failed Master Liu's expectations. However, Master Liu did not blame him, but just said lightly: "Try again, this time take your time, don't rush." ​​Re-adjusting his mentality, he started the operation again. This time, he was careful, focused all his attention, and repeatedly confirmed each step. Finally, after several failures, he successfully completed the processing of the part.

Master Liu looked at Wang Qiang's finished work and nodded without saying much, but Wang Qiang knew that he had been recognized by Master Liu. From then on, Master Liu began to guide Wang Qiang more and taught him some more complex techniques. Wang Qiang's skill level gradually caught up with the old fitters in the factory, and even surpassed them in some aspects.

As time went by, Wang Qiang gradually became prominent in the factory, and his name began to spread in the industry. More and more people came to him, hoping to ask him to help process some difficult parts. Wang Qiang's fame gradually spread to the courtyard, and the neighbors were proud of him, and his father was even more proud of his son.

However, Wang Qiang did not become complacent because he knew that benchwork skills are an endless learning process and every success is just a step towards a higher level. He continued to study hard, constantly improving his skills, and began to think about how to pass on his experience to more young people.

Recently, Wang Qiang's mood has become a little complicated. Although his skills in the factory have been widely recognized, he has an inexplicable sense of emptiness in his heart. The repetitive work every day makes him feel a little tired, and he begins to think: Have I reached my limit? Is there anything more to learn? Wang Qiang sat alone in the courtyard of the quadrangle. The sky gradually darkened, and the old wall of the quadrangle reflected the afterglow of the sunset, which seemed particularly peaceful. However, his heart could not be calm. He looked at the polished tools in his hands, and a question emerged in his mind: How much has he learned in benchwork skills over the years? How many things have he not mastered?

"Qiangzi, what are you thinking about?" A low voice interrupted his thoughts. It was his father.

Wang Qiang looked up at his father and saw that he looked normal, but with a hint of worry. He hesitated for a moment before saying, "Dad, I feel like I've hit a bottleneck lately."

Father smiled, sat down beside him, and slowly lit a cigarette. The smoke rose in the dim light, as if reflecting his father's weathered face. "Everyone has such moments, especially someone as serious as you," said father, "but bottlenecks are not necessarily a bad thing. They force you to find new breakthroughs."

Wang Qiang lowered his head and pondered his father's words. "But I don't know what else I can learn. Lathe, measurement, assembly... I feel like I have learned everything I can learn over the years."