On the first and second days of the Lunar New Year, as soon as Nie Zhenbang turned on his phone, it buzzed non-stop with New Year's greeting text messages from leaders in the lower levels of government.
Nie Zhenbang had anticipated this. The reason he had turned off his phone was to enjoy a New Year's without disturbances.
Those two days could be said to be the happiest days for the children and the most satisfying for the wife, free from the hassle of New Year's visits and the intrigue within the system. What they had was the warmth of home and the joyous harmony of the family.
Seeing Nie Zhenbang flipping through his phone, Yang Anna teased, "Once the governor turns on his phone, the New Year's text messages flood in like the waters of the Dajiang river, endless and unstoppable."
Nie Zhenbang smiled wryly and shrugged his shoulders, feigning helplessness, "It's a longstanding custom among our people to exchange courtesies. There's no helping it."
