The second day of the Lunar New Year.
Mom, Luan Xiaoping, had originally planned to leave yesterday, but her son's unexpected promotion made her put all the village affairs aside. Beaming with joy, she stayed with him another day. That morning, Dong Xuebin finally saw Mom onto the bus. Before leaving, she burst into tears again, saying Dong Xuebin had brought her honor and that she could finally hold her head high in the village. She also told her son to visit when he had time. Dong Xuebin was rather distant from Mom's sisters and relatives and rarely went back, but seeing her tearful face, he reluctantly agreed to return in a few days.
With firecrackers going off overhead, Dong Xuebin returned home.
Aunt Xuan was still spending the New Year at home, and Chang Juan and the others had come by with gifts yesterday. No one else should be coming these next couple of days.
On such a festive day, he was all alone. Dong Xuebin felt terribly bored. He went online, intending to chat with some former college and high school classmates on QQ, but none of them were online.
Helplessly shutting down the computer, Dong Xuebin suddenly wondered whether he ought to give his leaders some gifts too. It was not bribery; in China, it was simply courtesy. Since it was inconvenient to visit the State Security Family Compound, visiting Xie Huilan should not be a problem, right? Xie Huilan had helped him tremendously during Making a Scene at the Newspaper Office. It really would not do not to visit and thank her.
Right, he should pay Sister Xie a visit. She was one of the Central Leaders; having a good relationship with her could only bring benefits.
So Dong Xuebin went out and picked out a