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Patiently and gently, Father

showed Xian how to rub the
inkstick in circles in the smooth

inkstone with a few drops of

water to make thick black ink,

how to dip the soft brush in
the ink evenly, not too much,

nor too little, how to hold the

brush straight and tight,
keeping his elbow raised

above the desk, and how to

copy each simple stroke.

“Remember,” Father said,

“to build a good house, you
must make a solid foundation.

To become a good

calligrapher, you must

practice the basics first.”

Xian was eager to begin. He

held the brush straight and
tight, keeping his elbow above

the table and copied basic

strokes — a dot stroke, a

vertical stroke, a stroke that
curved or waved or twisted into

shapes that made him laugh.