焚香拜师因为我从小就热爱书画,并立志要当一个画家,不仅引起我母亲的同情,而且也引起我哥哥的关注。由于从少年起就受到邻居——好友石楚青的影响,并在他家中看到他的老师——扬州第五师范教师吕凤子的画,特别羡慕,便向我哥哥提出想跟吕凤子学画的要求。他便委托我们家另一位街坊、当时著名小说家李涵秋(当时是五师的国文教师)介绍。当时以清高自赏、不同凡俗著称的吕先生居然答应收我为弟子,独自师传,这使我感到无限光荣。 Since I was young, I have always loved painting and calligraphy and aspired to become an artist. It not only aroused the sympathy of my mother, but also aroused the concern of my brother. Since his youth, he was influenced by his neighbor, friend Shi Chuqing, and saw his teacher, Lv Fengzi, a teacher in Yangzhou’s fifth normal school. From his adolescence he was especially envious of asking his brother to learn to draw with Lu Fengzi. He commissioned another neighbor of our family, when renowned novelist Li Hanqiu (then a Chinese teacher of five divisions) was introduced. At that time, Mr. Lu, who was known for his high attitude and different customs, actually promised to accept me as a disciple and teach him alone. This made me feel infinitely glorious.