In 1917, he was selling calligraphy at home to support himself. After Yuan Zhong became the champion, the number of books doubled, and people seeking books came as far away as Beijing, Zhejiang, and Japan. Although Yuan is known as "Maizi", he is an open-minded person. As long as someone comes to ask for something, regardless of whether he is young or old, he will give it to him as a gift. Kunming's Cuihu, Daguan Tower, Xishan, Black Dragon Pond and other scenic spots all have Yuan Jiagu's calligraphy ink.
In 1921, Yuan Jiagu served as the director of Yunnan Provincial Library. In his later years, he built a garden on the green lake of Lu, built a garden of his own, called "Tree Garden", piled earth into a mountain, called "Jinzhong Mountain", built a small pavilion, called "Le Jing Pavilion", and planted some flowers, plants and vegetables to please the eyes. He also comforted himself by saying, "The narrower the garden, the more comfortable the heart will be; the narrower the garden, the more peaceful the body will be." He spent his later years collecting and organizing local documents in Yunnan. At that time, a piece of "Mahazhi Stele" was discovered in Kunyang Yueshan on the south bank of the Dianchi Lake. He identified it as the tombstone erected by Zheng He, the navigator of the Ming Dynasty, for his father in his hometown. "History of the Ming Dynasty" records that Zheng He was from Yunnan, but he did not know where he was born in Yunnan. After his research, he wrote an inscription and suggested the local government to build a pavilion for protection. Only then did the world know about Zheng He's hometown and what happened in Yunnan. A great navigator.
In 1922, the first university in Yunnan, the private Donglu University (the predecessor of today’s Yunnan University), was established. The following year, Yuan Jiagu applied for the position of professor of Chinese. Yuan Jiagu was originally a candidate for a high-paying job, but when he learned that the university's funds were tight, he refused to accept the job offer and instead donated a thousand yuan to fund the school. It was not until 8 years later (1931) that Tonryuk University changed its status from private to provincial, and he began to receive a salary. Yuan Jiagu was erudite and approachable, and had a high reputation at Donglu University. He teaches Chinese language classes twice a week. The classroom is located in Zhi Gong Tang. Every class is always full. In addition to the students and some teachers of the school, there are also many people from outside the school who come here. Yuan Jiagu has been teaching for more than ten years and has trained hundreds of people, many of whom have achieved great achievements, such as Li Shihou, Li Qiao, Pu Guangzong, Zhang Xilu, etc.