Chapter 3: Guardian
Mulan's first dinner at the Li home started out well but took a turn for the worse, much to Shang's dismay. Grandfather had many questions for Mulan, which she answered openly. He had heard about some of the adventure from Shang; and apparently wanted answers to some of the questions that Shang couldn't answer. For example, he wanted to know how she had lit the fire-rocket at the Imperial Palace. Did she carry flints with her?
Chen spoke up.
"Mushu lit the fire-rocket."
"Mushu?" said Grandfather.
"He helped you light the cannon too, right, Mulan?"
Mulan felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up. How did he know?
"Chen," Shang said, turning to him crossly.
"What? I didn't do anything wrong!" Chen protested.
"Chen. You know better than to interrupt and make things up."
Chen turned to him and Shang's eyes met his sternly.
"I know what I'm talking about," Chen muttered.
"Chen. Quiet down and eat your dinner."
"Is somebody going to tell me who Mushu is?" Grandfather asked, looking at each of their faces.
"Mushu is Mulan's stuffed lizard. It's a good luck charm," Shang answered, glaring at Chen who was about to open his mouth again.
"A good luck charm, Mulan?"
"Uhh…" she began. But she was interrupted.
"He's a dragon!" Chen blurted out, tearfully, all of a sudden. "And he's alive! He's Mulan's friend! He's right there!" He ran away from the table.
No matter how many times it happened, Shang was always taken aback by Chen's outbursts. And now he was completely embarrassed because it had been in front of Mulan. He excused himself and stood up. He strode after Chen and stopped at the front door, watching Chen run off into the garden. A moment later he caught sight of him running up the hill to the shrine. He sighed and went back to Mulan and his grandfather in the dining room.
"He's in the shrine. I'll go to him."
"Shang," Mulan spoke up. "I'm sorry. It's my fault. This is all over my good luck charm. Would you mind if I talked to him?"
Shang sighed and nodded for her to go. He loved his little brother very much but he did not understand him and he did not know at all how to handle him at times like these. Chen got so out of control for no reason at all sometimes and Shang just couldn't fathom where he was coming from.
He had always tried to be stern with him, to make him calm down and focus, but it didn't seem to have a lasting effect. Maybe Mulan would have a better approach with him. She was more insightful than he was.
Mulan apologized to Grandfather, then excused herself and went out to Chen.
Grandfather looked at Shang. Shang just frowned.
"Mulan has a little stuffed dragon that she carries around as a good luck charm. She talks to it sometimes. Chen must have heard her and decided that the thing is alive."
"Well, her presence in a place certainly shakes things up, doesn't it?" Grandfather quipped. "Between her and Chen, I'm sure things will be very interesting when she's living here." He began to laugh. "You know how to pick them, Shang."
Shang sighed. "I think you should meet Mulan's grandmother. The two of you would get along well."
xxxxxx
Mulan found Chen sitting outside the family shrine, crying.
"Did you say a prayer, Chen?"
He nodded, tearfully.
"Is it okay if I join you now?"
Another nod. She sat beside him silently as he tried to wipe his eyes and stop the tears that wouldn't cease.
"I'm not making things up. Everyone always thinks I am, but I'm not!"
"I know, Chen. Tell me, Chen, when you came by the room where I was before, you could see and hear Mushu?"
Chen nodded. "I could see him and I heard him answer you when you talked to him. He said that Grandfather is a hard head."
Mulan laughed. Then she spoke seriously. "Chen, Mushu is my guardian. He was sent by my ancestors to watch over me. And you are absolutely right. He is alive. He was with me when I joined the army and he's here with me now."
Chen smiled, relieved. "I knew it!"
"Let me explain something to you, Chen. No one else can see him. Shang can't see him. Your grandfather can't see him. I had no idea until today how other people perceived him, but apparently Shang sees a stuffed animal when he looks at Mushu. I assumed that since he is my guardian I am the only one who can see and hear him as a live being. But for some reason, you can too. But you need to keep it to yourself. You and me are the only ones who see him, and if you mention it to Shang it will upset him. Okay?"
Chen threw his arms around her suddenly. She hugged him back.
"Oh, I'm sorry, Chen. I didn't mean to cause problems for you."
"Now we have a secret together."
"Yep. We do."
"He is the one who lit the cannon, isn't he?"
"Yes. And the fire-rocket in the Imperial City. How did you know? Did he talk to you and tell you?
"No."
"Then how did you know?"
"It just popped into my head."
Mulan stared at him.
"Chen, you seem to know things that you couldn't possibly know. Do you also know things before they happen?"
Chen thought about it for a minute. "I guess sometimes. I knew when my father died."
"Before the messenger came to your house?"
"Yes. I had a nightmare about him a few weeks before and I felt him die. And when I woke up, he was in my room. He came to say goodbye to me."
A shiver ran down Mulan's spine. No wonder the boy had such problems controlling himself.
"Does Shang or your grandfather know?"
"No. Shang would think I'm lying. I just told Grandfather I had a nightmare."
"But you didn't tell him you saw your father?"
"No."
Mulan put her hand on Chen's shoulder comfortingly. He smiled at her.
"I'm glad you're going to be coming to live with us, Mulan."
"So am I."
"You love Shang."
"Very much."
"He loves you very much, too."
"I know it."
They sat together in silence for a little while. Then Mulan asked him if he was ready to go back inside.
Chen shook his head. "I don't want to. I'm going to be in big trouble."
Mulan laughed. "No, it will be alright. Besides, you have to go inside sometime."
"Shang is going to kill me."
"No he won't. I know he's tough; he was my commander, remember. But he won't kill you."
They walked down the hill together and went back inside the house. When they entered the dining room, Shang and his grandfather were talking calmly. They both looked up as the two of them came in, but said nothing. Mulan took her seat again and watched Chen as he shuffled back to his place at the table, avoiding Shang's and his grandfather's eyes. He sat quietly, looking down at his plate, not eating.
Grandfather commented about how good the food was and served himself some more, then called the servant to bring him some more rice wine.
"What about it, Li Chen?" Grandfather asked. "Are you going to behave yourself?"
Chen nodded, silent.
"Aren't you going to eat anything else, Chen?" Shang asked.
He shook his head.
Shang reached out and patted his shoulder gently.
Chen snuck a look up at him and smiled.
