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there is a map of treasures; he knows exactly where
every bolt came from and what it is destined to
become.
"As long as your will doesn't slip, there is always a
way!" This catchphrase, which Chih-Ming recites
like a mantra, vividly captures the philosophy and
essential skills of a mountain dweller. Since returning
to the village, whether tending his crops or building
gear for visitors, Chih-Ming has become a sort of
mechanical wizard. From his pockets, he pulls a
never-ending stream of ingenious solutions to smooth
the path of rural life.
Take, for instance, his automated waterer for the
chicks. Weary of the repetitive labor of changing
water daily, he rigged a motor and a wiring system
to a red, urn-shaped vessel. When the water reaches
the brim, it stops; as the chickens drink and the level
drops, a white latch immediately triggers a refill. It is
a fountain of clean water that never runs dry.
Then there is his solution for the thick, white
woodsmoke that once choked us while roasting
pork for guests. He sketched a blueprint in his mind
and built a smoker from firebricks. It features a three-
tiered sliding rack system: when the flames roar,
the meat is moved up; as the embers glow low, it is
lowered. A small air vent at the bottom of the steel
door allows him to swap firewood and control the
intensity of the heat with ease.
But his most celebrated creation is the wood-cutting
device. Winters in the mountains are cold, and
Chih-Ming
’
s mother needs a fire every day. For the
elderly in the village, wielding a heavy chainsaw
is a grueling task that leaves muscles screaming
with lactic acid. Seeing the village age, Chih-Ming
decided to invent a labor-saving alternative. He
studied Nordic wood-cutting designs on YouTube
and modified them into a tool suited for the village.
He welded salvaged C-channel steel into a sturdy
tripod to absorb the violent vibrations of the saw.
On top, he mounted a movable steel arm that holds
a inverted brush cutter, so that oil changes and
maintenance are a breeze. At one end, a bicycle
brake controls the engine
’
s power; at the other, a
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