Fancy Me, Professor!

"You see, Shu Xian, dear… since your shift would be afternoon, 1 PM to 7 PM—student assistants need to work six hours a day, you would have to give up your afternoon classes and only have classes in the morning."

When Shu Xian heard this, she actually knew that this is going to be a problem. She knew that student assistants should work six hours a day and that they would have to take straight classes either in the morning or in the afternoon.

Having a broken class schedule is not advisable, too. Because it would mean that she would also have broken working schedule, too, so this means that she would have to give up her classes in the afternoon so she can avail of the student assistantship scholarship.

"It's alright," Shu Xian said with a smile. "I'm prepared to drop my classes in the afternoon—they're only two of them, anyway. I can take them again in the next semesters."

"Oh! You're awfully compliant," Zhang Ren commented, making Shu Xian comfortably laugh at his comment.

"Is it bad?"

"No," Zhang Ren shook his head, grinning. "Other student assistants are demanding and they would not like this at all."

Not understanding it even though Zhang Ren told her the answer, Shu Xian furrowed her brows, not bothering to mask her confusion.

"What do you mean?"

"Oh, you see, Shu Xian…" Wang Fang trailed off, answering her question instead. "Being a student assistant means less units to take in school so you can work. Since you work, the university provides all—tuition and allowance. If you ask for more, it would already be too much for the university to provide."

"That makes sense," Shu Xian nodded, now understanding. "And other people who would find this out would want to go out of the scholarship because it would mean that it would delay their graduation since less units—the longer you stay to study. That it?"

"Ding, ding, ding!"

Zhang Ren imitated the "you are correct" bell and grinned ear to ear, commenting on what Shu Xian said.

"Correct! You're smart after all! But you know, people like me and like you, need this scholarship. And seeing you agree immediately to your classes dropping so you can work in the afternoon made me think that you need this scholarship so much, no?"

Shu Xian couldn't help but let out a small laugh. She nodded to say yes, Wang Fang, smiling as she wrote Shu Xian's classes in the afternoon on a small piece of paper.

"Alright, then. I will visit the College of Teacher Education on your behalf and would have to tell your professors of these classes that you would be dropping once you formally sign the contract of being a student assistant."

With Wang Fang gesturing Shu Xian to get the folder from the table as she asked the College of Teacher Education secretary who the professors of the classes that Shu Xian is going to drop are, Shu Xian opened the folder and only saw a two-paged contract, making her furrow her brows.

"Hmm… this doesn't seem to be too complicated," she mumbled, enough for Zhang Ren to hear as he nodded in agreement.

"I could say the same! All that you need to know from the contract is that you should maintain your grades to all passing. Once you failed three subjects, your renewal will be questioned."

Shu Xian nodded, "I see…"

"And then, other than that, you should remember that you are to work six hours a day, and then when it's the university's semester break, we are yet to still report to the university to work."

Shu Xian turned her head to look at Zhang Ren, curious.

"What do we do during break when we won't have any patrons by then since they are on vacation or something?"

"Simple. we clean! You think the janitorial team would clean for us? No! The library is ours so of course, we have to clean it ourselves!"

"Okay. That makes sense," Shu Xian said and nodded, looking at the contract again when her eyes slightly opened to see the allowances that the university will give. "They will give us a monthly allowance of $100?"

"Yes!" Zhang Ren answered enthusiastically and further explained. "Other than the perks of our tuition being free, we also get a monthly allowance for a job well done! But of course, one must maintain a good rating for we will be assessed every semester and during our semester break, too."

"Oh! So this assessment is also a basis for student assistantship scholarship renewal?"

"Correct! You've caught on! Wow… you're actually pretty smart," Zhang Ren confirmed and commented, making Shu Xian grin as she got her pen from her bag.

"Then, that's all there is to it! I don't need to know more—I just have to sign, then further learn the library tasks and policies."

At the same time as Shu Xian is signing her papers, Wang Fang is already finished talking with the College of Teacher Education secretary. With her already knowing the names of the professor who is handling her afternoon classes, Wang Fang got her contract from her, smiling at both of her student assistants.

"Alright. I trust that you read and discussed the contract with Zhang Ren," Wang Fang commented, the two already standing up from the couch as they waited for her further instruction. "I will finish this task before I have my time out so Shu Xian is already officially dropped out of her afternoon classes."

"Thank you, Miss Wang Fang."

Shu Xian thanked her with a bow, Wang Fang, smiling as she nodded at the two and bode them her farewell and then looked at Zhang Ren with another instruction.

"Make sure that you will tell Shu Xian everything that she needs to know so she will be ready for tomorrow's first day of duty. She can train and practice with you now—I can see that Shu Xian is really eager to work so soon in our library."