As you might have already guessed, I don't own the movie. Also I have rewritten this portion. Ming is the grandmother, Yuan is the mother, and Hu is the father. Nainai is Chinese for Grandma, so that would be what Mu-Lan would have called her.
Sunlight filtered in through the window, warming the young woman as she prepared the table. " Good morning, Mu-Lan." Startled, she spun around towards the sound of the voice, nearly spilling the tea in the process. The man chuckled lightly.
Mu-Lan smiled. "Good morning, baba." Turning back towards the table she continued on in her task. She paused, there was something she was forgetting.
"It would be hard to drink tea without any cups with which to drink with." His smile broadened as he watched her hurry off to find the cups. She will make a perfect bride. His smile faded slowly, his eyes fogging up.
"Is there something the matter baba?" He snapped back to the present. Mu-Lan was gazing at him with such concern.
He smiled gently and said, "My beautiful daughter. May the ancestors smile on you today."
Her brows creased slightly in confusion, but she shook her head gently and held out a small cup. Hu wrinkled his nose in distaste.
"I won't be drinking that," he said sternly.
Mu-Lan pouted. "Baba, it's your medicine, you have to."
Hu almost laughed when he saw her expression. "I think I'd rather drink tea." Reaching around her, Hu snatched up a tea cup and downed it. Immediately, his eyes widened and he made a face.
"This is medicine," he cried out, looking surprised.
Mu-Lan's lips curved slightly at the corners as she started to sip at her tea. Mischief danced in her eyes as she stared at her father's dumfounded expression. Struggling not to laugh, she backed away from Hu, her eyes flicking over to the doorway. Turning quickly, she picked up the teapot.
Tear sloshed in the little cups as Mu-Lan began pouring the tea. "Good morning mama. Did you sleep well?" Wispy steam curled in the air as it rose up off of the tea's surface.
"I can hardly see why she would not. Isn't today the day the arrangement is to be made?", said Grandma Hua as she entered the room. Mu-Lan's heart stopped, everything around her seeming unimaginably slow.
"What arrangement," she questioned, trying to collect herself as she continued to pour the tea.
Yuan smiled warmly at her daughter. "Why your engagement, of course. Just think of family you are going into, the children you will one day have." Yuan watched closely as her daughter stiffened, paling visibly.
"My engagement. I am being married off to a man I've never met. How am I supposed to love him." Tears pooled in her eyes as her voice broke, quickly falling to a whisper. " I don't want to marry a man I don't love."
Yuan smiled, seeming to ignore Mu-Lan's comment. "They should be arriving in a few hours. Maybe we should start getting her ready for-"
"They're here!" Mu-Lan turned and saw a carriage pulling into their courtyard.
"What?! Mu-Lan get into your room. Gramma get her ready. Darling stall them for as long as you can." Hu nodded shortly before turning to greet his guests.
Hu hurried to the door and outside. Dust flew up into the air as the carriage and horse suddenly stopped in the middle of the courtyard. Hu coughed and waved his hand in front of his face. The side door opened, revealing a plump woman. She stepped out and onto the ground, stumbling forward when her foot hit the ground at an awkward angle. Hu tried to catch her but only crumbled under her weight. She rested on the ground, not seeming to notice the flattened man beneath her. Hu groaned softly, his voice barely more than a hoarse whisper.
"You are early, my friend. I trust that the journey was pleasant." Hu smiled with relief as the woman's enormous weight was lifted off of him. She scowled at his comment but said nothing.
The man dipped his head and smiled widely, placing his hand on Hu's shoulder. "My friend, it is good to see you. It seems that the ancestors have blessed you with much after all." He was silent for a moment and gestured to the young rider. "This is my son." The young man bowed his head slightly and turned his attention back towards the horse.
"Where is your daughter?" Hu turned to the man's wife and smiled politely.
"You arrived early than expected. I'm afraid that my daughter is still preparing herself for her meeting with you." He gestured back to his home. "Perhaps we discuss the details of the arrangement over tea until I summon my daughter."
"Now, darling, try to stay silent. Do not speak unless you are directly spoken to, and smile as much as you can. There now, they need to see how beautiful their future daughter-in-law will be." Mu-Lan sighed heavily. She turned towards the window when she heard a male voice. She heard the man talk to the horse, and his voice sounded like soft rainfall and warm sunlight. She smiled softly, trying to imagine the face it belonged to. "Mu-Lan! Are you paying attention? You are soon to meet your future father-in-law and his wife. You need to impress them in order for this marriage contract to work."
"But Nainai, I don't want to marry him. I don't know him or even what he looks like!", Mu-Lan cried out. She looked away despairingly as she thought of the man outside. "Isn't there a way I can meet him before we're married?"
"Now Mu-Lan-"
"No Mu-Lan. Remember, the bride and groom are not to see each other until the day of their marriage." Mu-Lan turned just as her mother walked in.
"But Mama, it would just be a peek. I just want to know what he looks like, " Mu-Lan pleaded softly. "That is him outside right?" Her mother nodded slowly, still frowning.
Ming had a blissful smile on her face as she said, "I remember when I first saw your grandfather. It was-" A dark look from Yuan silenced her, but she glared back.
"Now dear, let's get you ready for your appearance. Let's see, now we want flowers in your hair, a sash around your waist, and your makeup." Mu-Lan frowned again as her mother spun and hurried out of the room again.
Mu-Lan sank down on her knees and looked at Ming. "Please Nainai, I just want to see him." Ming smiled warmly at her and helped her with her makeup.
"Now tie this sash around your waist. Some flowers in your hair and this jade necklace will make you look even more beautiful." Ming glanced over to a small wooden cage with and said, " What do you think?" The cricket inside made a chirping noise in response, and Ming turned and handed Mu-Lan a fan. "Use the fan. It drives the men crazy." With those parting words she left.
Mu-Lan's face lit up. Almost immediately she snaked her body out through the window and slunk along the backside of the house, keeping low to the ground. Peeking around the corner, she kept hoping to catch a glimpse of him, but all she could see was the top of his head. I need to see his face. She looked up at the tree branches above her head and pulled herself up. She climbed higher and leaned out further, still trying her best to see around the horse head. The branch groaned under her weight as she continued to crawl out further on the limb. Then she heard it, the branch giving into the pressing weight. It snapped, and she cried out sharply as she fell through the air.
She lifted her head up, and found herself lying on the ground. She looked around but there was sign of him. Where is he? Raising herself up of the ground, she smacked her hands down on her dress, sending up a light cloud of dust. Suddenly, the squeal of a pig met her ears, and the pig soon came around the corner followed by a young man. He launched himself into the air and came crashing down on top of his target. Mulan's mouth twitched up into a smile as she heard the pig's surprised squeal. He stood up quickly, the pig laden in his arms and a smug grin on his face.
"Gotcha! You're not getting awa-" He trailed off as he saw Mu-Lan staring at him in slight shock. His appearance was like that of a servant due to all the mud and debris that clung to him. "You're Mu-Lan!"
"Yes, and I'm pretty sure one of you is to be my husband." She smirked slightly as she stroked the top of the pig's head. "Would you perhaps be my betrothed?" A smile spread across the man's cheeks, even when he realized that she was talking to the pig.
"You-you're worth at least four, no five pigs!", He exclaimed loudly. Mu-Lan's expression quickly turned sour as she turned and stalked off. "Wait, you're also worth a cow!" His face fell, his eyes darkening with regret. "Five pigs? A cow?!" He stalked back to the carriage, muttering curses under his breath.
Mu-Lan stalked back into her room, dusting herself off as she paced. Am I only worth a few animals? Her eyes threatened to fill with tears as she thought of what the man had just said. I don't even know his name, and I already don't like him. Her brow creased in anger.
"May I present to you my daughter, Mu-Lan." Surprised, Mu-Lan turned slowly and saw an older woman staring back at her. Behind the woman, she saw a man whose stature greatly surpassed her father's. His skeptical expression seemed to lighten slightly as his gaze rested on her. The woman looked back at him, and he nodded. The woman stood and beckoned Mu-Lan forward.
Mu-Lan stepped forward slowly. "The fan, use the fan!", Ming hissed under her breath. Mu-Lan whipped out the fan, bringing it across her face, and then bowed respectfully. The woman hastened forward and grabbed Mu-Lan's wrists.
"Clear eyes," She murmured and reached into Mu-Lan's mouth,"no missing teeth, and her back appears to be perfectly straight." She kept circling around Mu-Lan, eyeing like a hawk. "Oh, but her waist is so skinny, not good for bearing sons."
The husband remained silent but looked at Hu and nodded. "We are in agreement. Your daughter will marry my son in one year. Until that day she will wear this pendent to show that she is betrothed." He gently placed the pendent around her neck and said, "My son carries the other half of this pendent."
Mu-Lan lifted her head and gazed into his eyes. She saw nothing but empty pools that reflected her own expressionless features. Seeing the apprehension in her eyes, he smiled warmly. She smiled back slightly, unsure if she should speak or not. Deciding against it, she backed away and bowed again at her future father-in-law. He nodded and said, "We shall see each other in a year's time Hua Hu."
Later, Mu-Lan watched as the carriage and her betrothed receded into the distance, and her composure withered away. She absentmindedly stroked the top of Li's furry head as fat tears rolled down her cheeks.