Chung Chao-cheng never forgot his experience during the 228 Incident. After the lifting of Martial Law in 1987, he published the , which can be viewed as the “fourth volume” of the "Taiwanese Trilogy. Rising Waves" portrays the state of Taiwanese society after the Second World War, depicting stories of young people attacking the Nationalist army and the arrest of Taiwanese elites during the 228 Incident, which sheds light on the cultural differences between Taiwan and China. The author also explored self-identification issues through the characters in his novels.

Chung Chao-chen made an enormous contribution to Taiwanese literature and dedicated himself to Hakka culture, literature, and the revival of the Hakka language. On May 16, 2020, he passed away at the age of 96 in his home in Longtan, Taoyuan. He was honorably dubbed as “the mother of Taiwanese literature” because of his contributions.