After his release, he first became a fishmonger, then learned to cook and opened his own seafood restaurant. In 1979, he wrote "A Poor Man, Down on His Luck," and gave it to Chen Ming-jen, a fellow Puyuma who later founded the group the Northern Mountain Cats.
出獄後為了生活，他當過魚販，也學習廚藝開海產店，1979 年寫下「可憐的落魄人」，並拿給同族的陳明仁（後組「北原山貓」）演唱，結果獲得極大迴響。