This article is from Historical Records written by Ma Zonghuo in Qing Dynasty.
Original text:
Wen Zhiming wrote A Thousand Words, at the rate of ten books a day, and the books made great progress. I have lived in books all my life, and I have never hesitated, or simply answered people, and I have never taken pains again and again, so the older I get, the more subtle I am.
Translation:
Wen Zhiming copied "thousands of words", writing ten books a day as the standard, and his calligraphy level improved rapidly. He has never been careless in writing all his life. Sometimes, when you reply, if you are a little dissatisfied, you must change it over and over again so that you won't feel bored. Therefore, with the growth of age, his calligraphy has become more exquisite and wonderful.
Appreciation of Wen Zhiming's Writing
The story of Wen Zhiming, one of the "four gifted scholars in Wuzhong", who practiced calligraphy diligently, persistently, meticulously and tirelessly tells us that if you give up halfway, you can only accomplish nothing in the end, and only by being down-to-earth and persistent can you succeed. At the same time, we should also learn this spirit of hard work, diligence, earnestness and indefatigability in our daily study and life.
No matter what you do, you must persevere, accumulate quantity and make a qualitative leap. There is a road in the mountain of books, but there is no limit to learning the sea. Only by learning more and practicing more will your skills get better and better. If you are afraid of hard work and easily retreat, you will never achieve great things.
The above contents refer to Baidu Encyclopedia-Wen Zhiming Xizi.