The Tiger Inside
By Nasu Hasami
"I belong with you; you belong with me."
~The Lumineers~
50. Everything
Shang's father, Rong "Martial" Li, was a plastic surgeon. It explained how Shang's parents could afford to live in Brentwood while also owning a chalet in Aspen and a summer house in Florida. Shang's mother, Pearl Teo, was a retired concert pianist. His sister, Qiuyue Li, and her husband, Alan Gwok, were also plastic surgeons. The family had a clinic in Beverley Hills. There had been much disappointment when Shang announced he was specializing in cardiothoracic surgery, not dermatology. Li ba had been hoping his son would be the laser specialist they'd desperately needed.
Shang's nieces and nephew had great fun sock-sliding around the house and playing in the yard.
Mulan's nainai had a wonderful time nursing two-year-old Aria Gwok as she harassed her granddaughter in the kitchen, nagging her about marrying that man of hers and having something small and divine before time ran out.
Shang's yeye and nainai wasted the afternoon trawling through Mulan's antique record collection and playing shidaiqu records.
Xiong Hua amused himself with drinking beer and interrogating his jiejie's lover. Despite being two years younger than his sister, Xiong felt he'd screwed up with Shan Yu, and he wasn't letting another man turn on his sister.
There was more than enough food and wine. The only complaint being that Shang shouldn't have crafted a special menu for the children, nor hired a bounce house for them.
'I think that was a success.' There's a tired smile on Mulan's face as she's washing dishes and setting them aside to air dry. Shang nods into her shoulder, hugging her by the hips and pulling her to his chest.
'Yes.' He peppers kisses along Mulan's neck. 'Big success.'
Notes
1. Nainai. Translation: Paternal grandmother.
2. Yeye. Translation: Paternal grandfather.
3. Shidaiqu. Translation: Chinese folk and American jazz fusion popular in the 1920s-1940s.
4. Jiejie. Translation: Older sister.