Chen's ambitions for material possessions are limited to the daily necessities of life, leaving him free to devote most of his energy to his job.
他說：「我喜歡過簡單的生活，因為這樣不必花太多心思在繁文縟節或其他形式上，可有更多時間工作、思考和求知。」因此，陳蘭皋不僅自己從不贊成鋪張、浪費，也很會替公家省錢。