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Veteran Tinkerer Chen Guanghui Dons His Battle Gear and Travels Far and Wide to Teach Farm Machinery, Helping Farmers Without Regret

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Veteran Tinkerer Chen Guanghui Turns "Machines" into Gold, Dons His Battle Gear and Travels Far and Wide to Teach Farm Machinery, Contributing to Rural Areas and Helping Farmers Without Regret

Whether he is feeding chickens and geese and growing vegetables in his own fields, or demonstrating and explaining the disassembly and reassembly of farm machinery at various community colleges, 78-year-old Chen Guanghui always wears a one-piece work suit, exuding the aura of a "black hand" mechanic from head to toe. "I have five sets of professional work clothes, in four colors: orange, aqua blue, blue, and black. I love wearing these clothes; they are convenient for both teaching and working." As he says this, Chen Guanghui's face is full of pride and confidence.

Indeed, as soon as he puts on his battle gear, Chen Guanghui instantly radiates brilliance. Especially when he is teaching at the community college, with his thick head of white hair, he is always the most dazzling person among a crowd of dark-haired students.

His daughter says he just can't sit still. Rather than enjoying a comfortable and leisurely life, he insists on running around everywhere, calling him a "hyperactive old man." But Chen Guanghui disagrees. He says: "As long as you maintain them properly and use them correctly, farm machines get better and better with use. The principle for people and farm machines is exactly the same. If I didn't come out to teach, I'd quickly fall apart sitting at home!"

Chen Guanghui, wearing his work suit "battle gear," radiates brilliance when he talks about farm machinery (photo / Li Huiyi)

Arriving Early and Leaving Late, Unmatched in Professionalism, Students See Chen Guanghui as a Legendary Figure

In early September, the fall semester began at Kaohsiung City Qimei Community College. The Small Farm Machinery Maintenance and Improvement course (hereafter "Small Farm Machinery Class") is still held at the same time as before, fixed on Tuesday mornings.

Almost everyone who comes to class is a farmer. Chen Guanghui understands that students always want to get more farm work done before the sun becomes scorching and harmful, so even though class is scheduled for nine o'clock, he is still willing to be the fool who arrives earliest. With the help of "Senior Brother" Li Zongda, Chen Guanghui first moves all kinds of tools, consumables, and broken-down farm machines from the car to the open space under the large Indian almond tree, placing each one in position, just waiting for the students to appear one by one.

Almost every class, some farmer brings a brush cutter for help. Facing new students, Chen Guanghui can't resist nagging a bit more. "After you finish cutting grass, don't leave the remaining fuel in the machine, otherwise the volatile substances will evaporate, and the remaining fuel will become very sticky and clog it up. Remember, farm machines don't break from use; they break from being left sitting without maintenance!" When he gets to that last sentence, Chen Guanghui raises his head and emphasizes his tone.

A class has both new and returning students, and Chen Guanghui can handle both. No matter what broken-down farm machine a student brings, there isn't one that can stump him. Some students even gossip privately about the teacher: "Hey, I heard Teacher Chen can also repair tanks and airplanes. Is that true?"

At this, Chen Guanghui laughs heartily. He says: "Actually, the concepts of repair are all interconnected. The most important thing is that I hope students can treat farm machines like people -- listen to their sounds, observe their appearance, feel out their performance, and even more importantly, understand the usage habits of their owners. Only then can you find the cause of a farm machine's malfunction, and then, after boldly hypothesizing and carefully disassembling to verify, restore the machine's health."

Farmers listen intently as Chen Guanghui teaches (photo / Li Huiyi)

Teaching Everywhere and Running Around Daily, "Opening Up" Farm Machines for Farmers and Winning Their Hearts

Perhaps it's his naturally narrow eyes, or perhaps it's the smile lines at the corners of his eyes that come with age, but even with a neutral expression, Chen Guanghui still looks like he's smiling. "I put my heart into understanding every farm machine. Even if they're the same brand and model, different people use them differently, and the machines perform differently. Where the performance is good, where it's prone to break down -- every machine has its own personality."

Before each class, Chen Guanghui never knows what farm machines students will bring or what questions they will raise, but all variations stay true to the same principle. His teaching method has always been for teachers and students to find the cause and explore solutions together. During the discussion and disassembly process, experienced returning students lead the new beginners, so that everyone's skills improve day by day.

Li Zongda is Chen Guanghui's prized student and also the driving force behind the establishment of classes at Pingbei Community College. Like his teacher, he lives in Pingtung City. Over the past two or three years, he has volunteered as a driver, safely transporting his teacher to Qimei Community College, Xinhua Community College, or Zengwen Community College.

As soon as they arrive at the class location, Li Zongda proactively helps the teacher lead group discussions and hands-on practice. If Chen Guanghui is too busy, he immediately steps in to help his junior classmates "open up" (disassemble and explain). Li Zongda says: "Don't let the teacher's age fool you. I've noticed that the more he teaches, the younger he gets. He's becoming more and more energetic!"

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