Chapter 2
The Punishment
The soldiers were called to line up.
Shang introduced the stranger who arrived previously to camp, "This is Lao Tsung, my lieutenant."
The guy stood there, arms crossed with an aura of superiority looking down at the soldiers standing before him. Deep inside, he believed he was much better than the very General Li Shang.
"You will obey his commands as well as you do with me." Shang fixed his eyes on Mulan warningly, the look in his eyes daring her to react, to say something. He loved it when he was the reason that made her angry.
When Shang finally turned his eyes away from Mulan, Yao whispered, "He's just a spoiled little brat who doesn't even know how to wield his sword properly."
His comment made Mulan next to him burst into giggles. She covered her mouth so Shang wouldn't see she was laughing, but it was useless.
The General walked towards her, his features angry yet satisfied. He stood only an inch away from her and this closeness annoyed her, her smile faded and turned serious. "What are you laughing at?" he demanded without raising his voice.
Mulan took a step back and replied, "Nothing."
Shang placed his hands on his hips and quirked his brow, "Nothing?"
"Yes, you can go back to your speech," she said.
This time his voice had gone a bit higher, "I can't continue giving important instructions when a reckless soldier like you makes fun of me."
"I wasn't laughing at you."
"Then what was so funny that made you laugh?"
"Something," she shot a daring look at him.
"And what is something?" He moved forward.
"Get away from me," she said backing away.
"Don't change the subject."
She brought her arms to her chest and rolled her eyes, "I'm not going to tell you because it's none of your business."
"Fine, don't tell me, but you'll have to see me after today's practice," he said finally walking away. It was until then Mulan noticed all the soldiers were staring at her with angry faces. She felt a bit embarrassed.
'This is all I wished for. Now I'm gonna have to do whatever punishment he has in mind. Thank you very much Yao,' she thought. Then she started to pity Shang, 'Why would he think I was making fun of him?' She shook her head and remembered he had been really annoying lately. 'If I were, he deserves it,' she concluded.
"I'm going to divide you in two groups." Shang was saying but he was cut off by Lao Tsung.
"The soldiers from this side," he pointed out to his right side were Mulan stood, "Will train with me."
"No, the soldiers that have advanced training skills will train with me," announced Shang, "the rest of you will be trained by my lieutenant." He made sure to pronounce lieutenant loud and clear enough as he turned to Lao Tsung. The lieutenant nodded and eyed Shang enviously.
When Shang dismissed the soldiers, Lao Tsung said, "Don't you think it's better if I practice with your most skilled soldiers while you train the starters and make sure they learn properly?"
"Lao," Shang answered matter of factly, "I am the General and I do what I think it's best for my soldiers."
"Right," said the lieutenant through gritted teeth.
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The night carried a cold breeze to camp it wasn't very pleasant to Mulan who washed dinner's dishes on the lake. Her hands were frozen and red but she kept scrubbing the leftover food on the dishes with an old piece of cloth. Washing the dishes was her least favourite chore to do and it seemed Shang had done it on purpose. He found out she hated to wash the dishes when he had stayed for dinner at her house; Fa Li had sent her to wash them and she had complained a lot.
"I want no trace of food on them," she feigned Shang's voice, "or you'll have to wash them all over again until they're perfectly clean." She rinsed a bowl and put it on top of another. Most of them were clean and piled up; she just had to wash the rest and then she could go to bed. Mulan rubbed her hands together for warmth and continued her punishment. Mushu came to her thoughts. Why hadn't he arrived yet? She missed the pesky dragon and the sweet cricket. Footsteps reached her ears.
"You must be Fa Mulan, China's heroin," an unfamiliar voice said.
She turned around to face the intruder. It was only Lao Tsung. He stared into her eyes and she noticed they were different, a brown lighter than usual among the Chinese.
"I am Lao Tsung," he began.
"I already knew that," she replied in a not very friendly tone.
"Are you mad at me?" Lao questioned.
Mulan rolled her eyes, she had enough work to do and he was only disturbing her. "No," she answered.
Lao Tsung sat right net to Mulan, "I suppose you're irritated because Shang put you this punishment. He's really silly at times, right?"
Mulan shook her head; she didn't want to say anything that would prove Shang she was talking behind his back, it wasn't like Shang really deserved it. Besides, she couldn't trust this man she had just met. Though, she couldn't believe she was practically defending him, "He does his job," she heard herself saying, "He has to teach us how to be disciplined."
Lao Tsung raised an amused brow. Why would she defend him, unless she was sweet on him? "Is there something between you two?" He asked rubbing his hands with intrigue, "I mean, are you two betrothed or something?"
The question made Mulan let drop a bowl that sank into the bottom of the lake. "Of course not!" she exclaimed, "He's the General and I am his soldier!"
A smirk appeared on Lao's features. "But he's still a man," he made a pause and continued, "and you're still a woman."
Mulan had had enough of it. How could he think such things of them? "That doesn't make any sense!"
"Why do you get so nervous it seems."
He was cut off by an angry Shang, "Lieutenant Lao, Fa Mulan was punished and you're not supposed to come here and distract her."
Lao Tsung got on his feet and said, "Don't you think you exaggerated with this punishment? If you ask me it is unfair."
"I told you not to question my decisions," Shang replied, "Can't you understand?"
They were staring at each other like wild beasts ready to attack one another.
"I'm done," Mulan announced just in time to break them apart.
"I'd better leave for tomorrow is going to be a long day," Lao said walking away.
Shang made sure he was far enough to ask Mulan "Was he bothering you?" He sounded concerned and it surprised her he hadn't said anything to tease her.
"He came to introduce himself," Mulan answered coolly, "And I told him he shouldn't be here, but he wouldn't listen." She was picking up the bowls to put them away in the cook's tent.
"Let me help you," Shang offered politely.
"You don't have to," Mulan hesitated, "Well, if you wish to."
The young General didn't think twice to reply, "It would be my pleasure."
Mulan smiled to herself. 'So he's back to his normal self, the polite and fair Li Shang.'
Walking back to camp, Shang apologized, "I'm sorry for exaggerating things. It wasn't like if you made a complete mess with Camp Wu Zhong like you did the first day you were here."
Mulan let out a laugh. It seemed ages they had laughed together. "It wasn't just me, Yao and Ling helped a bit."
Shang shook his head.
Before Mulan got inside her tent to sleep, they bid each other goodnight. Shang was about to leave when Mulan called him. He turned back to listen. "I wasn't laughing at you this morning," she confessed. She knew she had to make it clear for she didn't want him to feel bad, "I just laughed because Yao said something about Lao.but I promise I won't do it again."
Shang smiled reassured. "Fine, just don't do it again," he said.
"Right."
Once again he turned to leave but Mulan caught up with him and said, "There was this little accident with a bowl that sank into the lake, I could replace it when."
Shang let out a laugh, "There's no problem. Don't you worry." He wished Lao was there so he could see he wasn't so exaggerated. He was fair indeed; there was no doubt about it.
The soldiers were called to line up.
Shang introduced the stranger who arrived previously to camp, "This is Lao Tsung, my lieutenant."
The guy stood there, arms crossed with an aura of superiority looking down at the soldiers standing before him. Deep inside, he believed he was much better than the very General Li Shang.
"You will obey his commands as well as you do with me." Shang fixed his eyes on Mulan warningly, the look in his eyes daring her to react, to say something. He loved it when he was the reason that made her angry.
When Shang finally turned his eyes away from Mulan, Yao whispered, "He's just a spoiled little brat who doesn't even know how to wield his sword properly."
His comment made Mulan next to him burst into giggles. She covered her mouth so Shang wouldn't see she was laughing, but it was useless.
The General walked towards her, his features angry yet satisfied. He stood only an inch away from her and this closeness annoyed her, her smile faded and turned serious. "What are you laughing at?" he demanded without raising his voice.
Mulan took a step back and replied, "Nothing."
Shang placed his hands on his hips and quirked his brow, "Nothing?"
"Yes, you can go back to your speech," she said.
This time his voice had gone a bit higher, "I can't continue giving important instructions when a reckless soldier like you makes fun of me."
"I wasn't laughing at you."
"Then what was so funny that made you laugh?"
"Something," she shot a daring look at him.
"And what is something?" He moved forward.
"Get away from me," she said backing away.
"Don't change the subject."
She brought her arms to her chest and rolled her eyes, "I'm not going to tell you because it's none of your business."
"Fine, don't tell me, but you'll have to see me after today's practice," he said finally walking away. It was until then Mulan noticed all the soldiers were staring at her with angry faces. She felt a bit embarrassed.
'This is all I wished for. Now I'm gonna have to do whatever punishment he has in mind. Thank you very much Yao,' she thought. Then she started to pity Shang, 'Why would he think I was making fun of him?' She shook her head and remembered he had been really annoying lately. 'If I were, he deserves it,' she concluded.
"I'm going to divide you in two groups." Shang was saying but he was cut off by Lao Tsung.
"The soldiers from this side," he pointed out to his right side were Mulan stood, "Will train with me."
"No, the soldiers that have advanced training skills will train with me," announced Shang, "the rest of you will be trained by my lieutenant." He made sure to pronounce lieutenant loud and clear enough as he turned to Lao Tsung. The lieutenant nodded and eyed Shang enviously.
When Shang dismissed the soldiers, Lao Tsung said, "Don't you think it's better if I practice with your most skilled soldiers while you train the starters and make sure they learn properly?"
"Lao," Shang answered matter of factly, "I am the General and I do what I think it's best for my soldiers."
"Right," said the lieutenant through gritted teeth.
+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+
The night carried a cold breeze to camp it wasn't very pleasant to Mulan who washed dinner's dishes on the lake. Her hands were frozen and red but she kept scrubbing the leftover food on the dishes with an old piece of cloth. Washing the dishes was her least favourite chore to do and it seemed Shang had done it on purpose. He found out she hated to wash the dishes when he had stayed for dinner at her house; Fa Li had sent her to wash them and she had complained a lot.
"I want no trace of food on them," she feigned Shang's voice, "or you'll have to wash them all over again until they're perfectly clean." She rinsed a bowl and put it on top of another. Most of them were clean and piled up; she just had to wash the rest and then she could go to bed. Mulan rubbed her hands together for warmth and continued her punishment. Mushu came to her thoughts. Why hadn't he arrived yet? She missed the pesky dragon and the sweet cricket. Footsteps reached her ears.
"You must be Fa Mulan, China's heroin," an unfamiliar voice said.
She turned around to face the intruder. It was only Lao Tsung. He stared into her eyes and she noticed they were different, a brown lighter than usual among the Chinese.
"I am Lao Tsung," he began.
"I already knew that," she replied in a not very friendly tone.
"Are you mad at me?" Lao questioned.
Mulan rolled her eyes, she had enough work to do and he was only disturbing her. "No," she answered.
Lao Tsung sat right net to Mulan, "I suppose you're irritated because Shang put you this punishment. He's really silly at times, right?"
Mulan shook her head; she didn't want to say anything that would prove Shang she was talking behind his back, it wasn't like Shang really deserved it. Besides, she couldn't trust this man she had just met. Though, she couldn't believe she was practically defending him, "He does his job," she heard herself saying, "He has to teach us how to be disciplined."
Lao Tsung raised an amused brow. Why would she defend him, unless she was sweet on him? "Is there something between you two?" He asked rubbing his hands with intrigue, "I mean, are you two betrothed or something?"
The question made Mulan let drop a bowl that sank into the bottom of the lake. "Of course not!" she exclaimed, "He's the General and I am his soldier!"
A smirk appeared on Lao's features. "But he's still a man," he made a pause and continued, "and you're still a woman."
Mulan had had enough of it. How could he think such things of them? "That doesn't make any sense!"
"Why do you get so nervous it seems."
He was cut off by an angry Shang, "Lieutenant Lao, Fa Mulan was punished and you're not supposed to come here and distract her."
Lao Tsung got on his feet and said, "Don't you think you exaggerated with this punishment? If you ask me it is unfair."
"I told you not to question my decisions," Shang replied, "Can't you understand?"
They were staring at each other like wild beasts ready to attack one another.
"I'm done," Mulan announced just in time to break them apart.
"I'd better leave for tomorrow is going to be a long day," Lao said walking away.
Shang made sure he was far enough to ask Mulan "Was he bothering you?" He sounded concerned and it surprised her he hadn't said anything to tease her.
"He came to introduce himself," Mulan answered coolly, "And I told him he shouldn't be here, but he wouldn't listen." She was picking up the bowls to put them away in the cook's tent.
"Let me help you," Shang offered politely.
"You don't have to," Mulan hesitated, "Well, if you wish to."
The young General didn't think twice to reply, "It would be my pleasure."
Mulan smiled to herself. 'So he's back to his normal self, the polite and fair Li Shang.'
Walking back to camp, Shang apologized, "I'm sorry for exaggerating things. It wasn't like if you made a complete mess with Camp Wu Zhong like you did the first day you were here."
Mulan let out a laugh. It seemed ages they had laughed together. "It wasn't just me, Yao and Ling helped a bit."
Shang shook his head.
Before Mulan got inside her tent to sleep, they bid each other goodnight. Shang was about to leave when Mulan called him. He turned back to listen. "I wasn't laughing at you this morning," she confessed. She knew she had to make it clear for she didn't want him to feel bad, "I just laughed because Yao said something about Lao.but I promise I won't do it again."
Shang smiled reassured. "Fine, just don't do it again," he said.
"Right."
Once again he turned to leave but Mulan caught up with him and said, "There was this little accident with a bowl that sank into the lake, I could replace it when."
Shang let out a laugh, "There's no problem. Don't you worry." He wished Lao was there so he could see he wasn't so exaggerated. He was fair indeed; there was no doubt about it.