Devastated, he walked more than one hour every day from his Shilin home to the Governor-General's Library, where he skimmed numerous works on literature, history, philosophy and Buddhism. Having no money, he drank water for lunch.
當時心情落寞的他，每天從士林徒步一個多小時到總督府圖書館看書，由於身上沒錢，午餐就喝水打發，期間涉獵很多文、史、哲和佛學書籍。