Translator: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio
“Oh… alright,” she said with a sigh.
She had planned on having a good rest today since it was her rest day and also because she had been feeling very exhausted over the past few days.
She hailed a taxi and made her way back to school after lunch.
This was an art school that was a joint investment between herself and two other art teachers and she had a 30% stake in this school. This school had only been established for slightly over a year but they had managed to boast an enrollment of almost 300 students through their hard work. Their students were mainly 4 to 10-year-olds who enjoyed drawing.
Their students mainly came for classes in the evenings or over the weekends so that it wouldn’t clash with their school curriculum.
He Xiyan specialized in sketches and thus, she was in charge of teaching students how to draw. She was also a very popular teacher.
She taught 6 sketching classes and each class had 20 students. Each student paid between $100 to $120 per class, so in other words, she would earn more than $2,000 per class. When she thought back to how she used to be paid $200 per class when she taught at her previous school, 10% of what she could earn now, she realized how underpaid she had been.
Now, she could keep 50% of her earnings, so she made $1,000 per class in addition to her year-end bonus. She was making a considerable sum of money.
“Ms. Chen…” her colleague Li Yue said as she waved at her.
Li Yue was in charge of developmental learning and she was very young at just 24 years of age.
He Xiyan greeted her with a smile.
They chatted happily as they walked to the office together.
“Ms. Chen, I think the principal intends to send you and me to Ye City for training,” Li Yue said with a smile as she patted He Xiyan’s shoulder.
He Xiyan froze and she suddenly frowned as a look of confusion flashed past her eyes.
“Me?” she said as she pointed at herself in disbelief. She knew that the school intended to send two teachers to Ye City for a course to learn how to boost enrolments, retain students, and inject more fun in their classes and so on, but she had already told the principal that she had many things to attend to at home, so she couldn’t spare time to travel to such a far-flung location. Moreover, this course was 15 days long.
“Yes,” Li Yue said. She sounded very sure of herself as she continued, “I think it is because Ms. Xia’s baby is ill and has been hospitalized. Ms. Xia has taken leave to look after her child so she wouldn’t be able to go which means that leaves you.”
He Xiyan was speechless but she quickly dropped her colleague Xia Lin a line to convey her well wishes and to confirm if she was indeed pulling out of the training.
Ms. Xia confirmed that she wouldn’t be able to go to Ye City for training to He Xiyan’s dismay.
“Ms. Chen, I’m really sorry but I’m worried about my child. I wouldn’t be able to concentrate even if I were to head to Ye City in this state and this was why I suggested that you go in my stead. I’m really sorry about that,” Xia Lin said apologetically. This had been assigned to her so she felt bad that someone else had to complete this training on her behalf.
He Xiyan rubbed at her temples and realized that she was unable to reject now that Xia Lin had phrased her request in such an apologetic manner. After all, nothing was more important to a mother than her child.
“It’s okay, Ms. Xia. Please take care of your child and don’t worry too much about work,” He Xiyan said.
She didn’t know how else to comfort Xia Lin.
The meeting started at 2:30 PM and it took two hours. The agenda mainly revolved around teaching and boosting enrolments as it did every week when the meeting took place.