When Wang Xizhi was young, he practiced calligraphy very hard. It is said that he practiced calligraphy with a broken brush and piled it into a hill, which people called "Pen Mountain". There is a small swimming pool next to his home. He often washes brushes and inkstones in this pool. Later, the water in the small pool turned black, so people called this small pool "Mo Chi".
When he grew up, Wang Xizhi's calligraphy was quite good, but he still insisted on practicing calligraphy every day. One day, he was so absorbed in practicing calligraphy in his study that he forgot to eat. The maid brought his favorite garlic paste and steamed bread to urge him to eat, but he still buried himself in writing, as if he didn't hear. The maid had no choice but to tell his wife.
When the lady and the servant girl came to the study, they found Wang Xizhi holding a steamed bread covered with ink and stuffing it into his mouth, which made the corners of his mouth black. They couldn't help laughing. It turned out that Wang Xizhi was practicing calligraphy while eating, and when his eyes were still looking at calligraphy, he accidentally dipped the ink into garlic paste.
The lady said to Wang Xizhi with distress, "You should take care! Your handwriting is very good. Why do you practice so hard? "
Wang Xizhi looked up and replied, "Although my handwriting is good, it is all written on the basis of the past. If I want to have my own writing style and be self-contained, I have to work hard. "
After a period of hard exploration, Wang Xizhi finally wrote a beautiful and smooth new font. Everyone praised his calligraphy as relaxed as Cai Yun and vigorous as a dragonfly, and he was also considered as one of the outstanding calligraphers in the history of China.