What is "baixing"

Baixing ( or lao baixing is a term in Chinese meaning "the people", or "commoners". The word lao is often added before "baixing" to give the term a more affectionate tone.

Chinese family names are patrilineal, passed from father to children. Chinese women, after marriage, typically retain their birth surname. Historically, however, only Chinese men possessed xìng , in addition to shì ; the women had only the latter, and took on their husband's xìng after marriage.