The 'couple post' on the top of Mount Li in Xi'an

Gao Lei, head of a Signal Station on Mount Li, had spent six years here. He operated the signal station, checked antenna, clicked on the transmitter more than 10,000 times every day. His wife, Gao Xiao, came here with their new-born daughter in 2010. From then on, the small post was full of warmth and vitality.

Being a telegraph operator was tough, which required many professional skills and high technology standards. Many antennas in the station were in the forest. The signal would be worse in winds and rains. Gao Lei always repaired antennas in the rain.

During one earthquake, the signal was interrupted between disaster relief forces and the headquarters. Gao Lei rushed to climb up the control tower to fix the antenna and recovered the signal. He worked without sleep for two days and nights. During the period, he fixed problems for six times and sent more than 27,000 messages.

The environment on the mountain peak was tough and dangerous. He is often attacked by hornets; what is worse, sometimes he may encounter snakes and wild boars. Water is another thorny problem. The only water source was in the scenery site: Lao Mu Dian, which is more than 2 kilometers away from the mountain. And the water is rainwater, which is of bad quality. In winter, the water comes from the accumulation of snow, so the boiled water was black.

Gao never complained about these difficulties, but he felt sorry for his parents, because he joined the army at the age of 17, and stayed there for 16 years. He lost the opportunity to get together with his parents. His wife Gao Xiao did a lot for the family, looking after his sick father and taking care of the whole family.

Gao Xiao felt happy after moving to the station. And she was awarded "military spouse model" in 2012. Gao Lei shouldered heavy responsibilities in the small signal station. The happy family guarded the 'couple post' on the top of Mount Li.