Field experts find balance of hard work and family tenderness

Waking up in a sheep shed at an altitude of 4,500 meters left an indelible mark on Bai Pingyan. For that field survey in the Xizang autonomous region, the worksite was a full day's drive from their Lhasa base. With no nearby housing, the shed became their only shelter.

However, when asked about challenges in his job, the 34-year-old geologist, who climbs steep mountains like a monkey, smiled shyly as he looked at a photo of his wife and said: "Living in sheep sheds or steaming buns over cow dung fires isn't too bad — it's just part of the job. What is truly tough is prolonged separation from family members."

This feeling resonates with the thousands of geological workers from the China Geological Survey, who spend around half of each year on field expeditions exploring the Earth's hidden corners. Meanwhile, their families, going about their busy daily lives, serve as a great pillar of support and propel them forward.

Huang Jiazhong, a colleague of Bai's at the Kunming General Survey of Natural Resources Center of the China Geological Survey, spent nearly 10 months in the field last year, one of the longest among his peers. Despite that, Huang never misses his children's growth and always tries his best to share household responsibilities with his wife.

Unless there are special circumstances, the family has a scheduled video call at around 8 pm. After sharing work anecdotes and inquiring about family matters, Huang moves on to tutoring his son.

"You need to draw an auxiliary line here and divide the angle into two parts," Huang patiently explained step by step the question his fourth-grade son got wrong in that day's homework, with the mobile phone camera focused on the geometric shape on the draft paper.

"My son does really well in school," the introverted man said with a laugh, his eyes sparkling when talking about his son. "Every day, his homework is photographed and sent to me for review. I can help him with mathematics and Chinese, as those subjects are within my tutoring capabilities. For English, I learn alongside him using apps and some WeChat accounts."

For Zhao Ruigang, who is soon to be a father, the heart-fluttering feeling he shares with his wife remains as strong as ever, even after five years of marriage, it has rooted their mutual appreciation and support.

"We were introduced by relatives, and just three days after we met, I had to leave for a three-month fieldwork project in the Xishuangbanna Dai autonomous prefecture, Yunnan," Zhao recalled. During that period, he sent her fruit six times, even though she was not yet his girlfriend. This habit has persisted, and whenever he travels to a new place for work, he makes sure to bring her some local specialties.

"From the very start of our relationship, I was honest with her about my job, and in accepting me, she also embraced the unique demands of my work," Zhao said.

With his WeChat profile picture and the friend circle's cover photo both showing the couple together, the geologist, whose daily job involves a lot of mountain climbing, still goes hiking with his wife on his days off, taking his tea set. His wife also shows her admiration for him in every aspect — whether it's the meals he cooks or the inventions he creates by summarizing work experiences.

Two years ago, when his wife had gallstone surgery, he took two days off — after she assured him she would be fine — and then relied on their parents and friends to help care for her. He also cannot accompany her to most prenatal checkups. Yet, she has never expressed any dissatisfaction, except for the time he concealed that a stone had bounced deep into his leg.

"What keeps me going is my fascination with the stories stones tell about the Earth, and the thought of the Chinese New Year's Eve dinner waiting for me at home — a dinner that I'll cook, of course," he said.

limenghan@chinadaily.com.cn