Disclaimer: No. Not now, not ever.
Chapter five.
They entered Mulan's house. "Whew!" Granny Fa mumbled to Fa Li, "What a rush!" Fa Li smiled at her mother-in-law, who apparently still thought she was eighteen. The entire day was spent entertaining the Fa family's attractive young guest.
Mulan sat at her window, watching her father talk with Shang. They were standing, facing away from the house. Every now and then, Shang would turn his head in Fa Zhou's direction, and Mulan would watch his expressions with interest. He stood tall. His height of 6'1" made her father look short, even though he was about 5'10". He was really muscular.. but not the overpowering muscular that makes you sick. It was the athletic kind.. the kind where if you played a lot of sports, and did maybe a little exercise, this is what you'd get.
The two men began to walk towards the bridge. Mulan's eyes followed the taller figure. He moved with such coordination- his every step displaying an unthinking unity of movement. His broad shoulders harbored his red officer's cape, and his thick jet black hair was held up in the traditional ponytail with a matching piece of cloth. She loved that cape on him.
"He's hot stuff, ain't he?" came Granny Fa's voice. "Quite a catch."
"Just like the fish we are going to have for dinner." Fa Li's voice was heard at Mulan's doorway. "Come to the kitchen, Mulan. Your help is needed." Mulan gazed once more at the window.
"Ooohh.. that cape " she thought, and got up to make her way to the kitchen.
The two men sat down on a bench in the garden, and looked on towards the lake.
"…Your father's death must have been hard, Captain Li," Fa Zhou commented on their discussion.
"It was. But I've learned something." He and Fa Zhou stood, and strode towards the lake. "This.. will represent my father," Shang said, picking up a small stone. "And this lake will represent me." He glanced at Fa Zhou, who was watching him as if he were a great teacher, and Zhou the student. Shang tossed the rock into the river. "See, the rock disturbs the lake, as my father's death caused waves in my heart. But look.. the lake is calm once more." He turned to look at Fa Zhou.
"But the rock remains." Fa Zhou told him, prodding Shang for an extension to his analogy.
"I know. It is part of the lake now, as my father's death is now a part of me. " Fa Zhou looked approvingly at Shang.. Zhou was one who highly valued wisdom. He knew that Shang and Mulan were fond of eachother, and now he was sure of Shang's worth as a potential husband.
That evening, the group of five joined together at the table. It was a cold night, and the tea felt good on Shang's throat.
"Thank you for having me here. The fish is delicious, and the tea is formidable." Shang said to all the women. He really said this to break the silence and permit the women to speak, even though the food really was delicious.
"Thank you," Granny Fa spoke. "So, what brings you here?" Shang and Mulan had decided not to tell the family, because they didn't want to worry anyone.
"Well," Shang began. He looked at Mulan, who raised her eyebrows as if to say 'Why are you here' . But her eyes showed her true thoughts. She saw the glint in Shang's eyes and knew he was going to say something unpredictable… something different from the story they had formulated in the stable. She shook her head, almost unnoticeably, seemingly saying 'Don't you dare'. He put down his chopsticks, and rubbed his hands on his well-toned quadriceps. "I came because I wanted to ask you," he was talking to Fa Zhou now, "..if perhaps I could see your daughter on a steady basis." He quickly looked at Mulan and raised his eyebrows to ask her permission..after the fact. The right corner of her mouth was slightly raised. She was okay with the idea. 'Good' Shang thought. 'How awful it'd be if she wasn't pleased.'
Fa Zhou looked at his wife, who smiled approvingly, but not eagerly , and then at Granny Fa, who was busy drooling over Shang. He cleared his throat loudly, which called her back to the real world. Shang let out a deep breath.
"Hm?" she asked. Mulan smiled, laughing silently at her grandmother, and then turned to smile very approvingly at her father.
"You have my permission." Fa Zhou answered genially, bowing his head once to Shang, who smiled widely at him and then at Mulan.
"Thank you" He said to Fa Zhou.
"Thank you, father." Mulan added. Now it was official. He and Mulan could now take walks alone together, and not be thought of badly (in lieu of tradition).
After dinner, Shang was invited to stay for the night. He declined, stating that he had to be elsewhere by the next morning. So he and Mulan walked to the stable under the pretense of her 'seeing him off'. They entered the stable. Mulan grabbed some blankets from the corner, where she hid them earlier that day. She made him a bed out of the soft straw and blankets, and then turned to talk to him. He stood up from his bale of hay.
"Will you be okay?"
"I'll be fine. Just-Mulan-" he said, placing his hands on her arms, "Stay away from here tonight."
"I will." She said.
"Promise me, Mulan. I don't want anything bad to happen to you." She crossed her fingers.
"I promise."
"Okay." He turned his head slightly to the right, looked around slowly, and then into Mulan's eyes. It was a sort of habit of his when he spoke to Mulan. He knew she would come anyways. "Okay," he reiterated, more softly this time. "Goodnight, Fa Mulan."
"Goodnight, Li Shang." She said quietly. She quitted him. Shang watched her buoyant figure walk to the stable doors. She turned and looked at him for one last time, and left. Shang sat down on the bed Mulan so lovingly made for him. Tonight is the night, he thought as he heard the thunder roll and saw the lightning flash. Shan-Yu would come tonight. And he would be ready.