Third Person POV
Meanwhile, inside the salon, the owner looked at Mulan's messy look and sang, "This is what you give me to work with? Well, honey, I've seen worse!" She then took Mulan behind a screen and undressed her as she continued singing, "We're going to turn this sow's ear into a silk purse!"
Mulan fell back into the bathtub just as the salon lady pulled the screen back, and Jeanette, Trysha, and Grandmother Fa arrived inside.
Mulan shivered in the cold, bubbly water and complained, "It's freezing!"
"It would have been warm if you were here on time," Fa Li stated as the salon owner poured some water over Mulan's head.
The beautician gleefully sang as she watched the dark-haired girl's hair:
We'll have you washed and dried
Primped and polished till you glow with pride
Just my recipe for instant bride
You'll bring honor to us all!
As Fa Li washed her daughter's arm, she saw the cheat notes and asked, "Mulan, what's this?"
"Uh, notes," Mulan stammered as she brought her arm away, "In case I forget something!"
"We helped her," Trysha said with a nervous giggle.
"Hold this," Grandmother Fa said as she handed the cricket's cage to Fa Li, "We'll need more luck than I thought!
Later on, the salon owner and her assistant were styling Mulan's hair into a bun.
Owner: Wait and see, when we're through
Assistant: Boys will gladly go to war for you
Owner: With good fortune
Assistant: And a great hairdo!
Both: You'll bring honor to us all!
Later, the women all left the salon to go somewhere else. Mulan and her friends passed by a table where two men were playing a game of checkers. One of the men was struggling to make a move, but Mulan moved one of his pieces forward before Fa Li took her hand.
Chorus: A girl can bring her family
Great honor in one way
By striking a good match
And this could be the day!
Inside a dress shop, a dressmaker and a seamstress were dressing Mulan up in a pink, red, white, and blue hanfu.
Dressmaker: Men want girls with good taste
Seamstress: Calm, obedient, and work fast-pace!
Dressmaker: With good breeding
Seamstress: And a tiny waist!
Both: You'll bring honor to us all!
As they left the dress shop, the women all noticed some children playing in the street. A little girl was playing with her ragdoll when some naughty little boys snatched the doll away from her! Luckily, Mulan grabbed the doll away from the boys and gave them a stern frown. Then, she smiled and gave the little girl her doll back, making her grin and hug her toy.
Chorus: We all must serve our Emperor
Who guards us from the Huns
A man by bearing arms
A girl by bearing sons!
At another salon, Mulan was getting a makeover by three different women, while Jeanette and Trysha all looked at the different powders and mixtures with curiosity. I hope no animals were harmed in the making of these cosmetics, Jeanette thought to herself.
Salon Owners: When we're through you can't fail
Like a lotus blossom soft and pale
How can any fellow say, "No sale"?
You'll bring honor to us all!
Mulan looked at herself in the mirror, and was surprised to see her face covered in white powder, pink blush, purple eyeshadow, and red lipstick. She then moved a strand of hair down over her forehead while her mother unwrapped a cloth to reveal a flower headpiece, and then Fa Li placed the headpiece into her daughter's hair. "There," Fa Li smiled, "You're ready!"
"You look beautiful," Trysha complimented with a smile.
"Not yet!" Grandmother Fa chuckled as she gave Mulan a few more things, "An apple for serenity, a pendant for balance!" She put the red apple into Mulan's mouth, the pendant in her dress sash, a beaded necklace around her neck, and the cricket's cage into the back of her dress.
Grandmother: Beads of jade for beauty
You must proudly show it
Now add a cricket just for luck
And even you can't blow it!
Mulan left the salon as Jeanette, Trysha, Fa Li, and Grandmother Fa stayed behind to watch her. As she walked along, Mulan sang in prayer:
Ancestors, hear my plea
Help me not to make a fool of me
And to not uproot my family tree
Keep my father standing tall!
Fa Li caught up with her daughter and gave her a blue parasol, and then Mulan ran to catch up with some other girls who were going to see the matchmaker, too.
Girls (except Mulan): Scarier than the undertaker
We are meeting our matchmaker!
Townspeople: Destiny, guard our girls
And their future as it fast unfurls
Please look kindly on these cultured pearls
Each a perfect porcelain doll!
Girls (except Mulan): Please bring honor to us (4x)
All (except Mulan): Please bring honor to us all!
Mulan and the four other finely dressed girls bowed before a set of doors to a large house, and opened up their parasols, ready to see the matchmaker. Soon, the doors opened, revealing a very fat woman dressed in purple and black. The woman took her notes out and called, "Fa Mulan!"
"Present!" Mulan replied as she got up and waved.
"Speaking without permission," the Matchmaker said as she turned away.
"Oops," Mulan sighed as she put her hand on her face.
"Who spit in her bean curd?" Grandmother Fa whispered to Fa Li in the crowd of onlookers.
The Matchmaker then led Mulan inside her house and then closed the doors loudly.