He worked for over ten years as a painter in Nantou, but after his parents-in-law died in the 1999 earthquake he returned to Chungliao to take over the management of their fields, as well as those of his father. He now looks after a 0.6-hectare grove of longan trees, three hectares of betel nut trees, and a 0.4-hectare plot of oranges and bananas.
44 歲的蔡聰修是廖學堂是小學同學，921 地震以前在南投做油漆工十多年。地震後，由於岳父母罹難，他回中寮接管父親和岳父的田地，包括 6 分地（約 1,800 坪）的龍眼林，3 甲檳榔，4 分地的柳丁和香蕉。