A/N: Many thanks for the kind reviews. Two more chapters up. The story has been moving a little slowly because I am still trying to set up the relationships between Chen and Shang, Chen and Mulan, Mulan and Grandfather Li, etc. But there will eventually be a plot with some action coming into the story so it should start to get more interesting.
Chapter 4: The Fight
After dinner, Shang went to put Chen to bed. Chen was reluctant to go, but Shang firmly told him that he had school the next day and he had to be up early.
"I hate school," Chen muttered.
"Well, you have to go, Chen. How else will you learn?"
Chen went to wash up, scuffing his feet on the floor. He then returned and climbed into bed. Shang tucked his little brother in.
"Shang?"
"What?"
"Are you mad at me?"
"No, Chen. But you have to learn to control yourself. You can't have outbursts like that. It's the reason why you're having problems in school. And this is not how we've been brought up. You know that. Right?"
Chen nodded. "Yes."
"You must behave respectfully and with dignity and honor. If Father was alive, you would want him to be proud of you. And even though he is gone…you still must behave in a way that will honor his memory and that would make him proud."
An expression of profound sadness crossed Chen's features. Shang reached down and ruffled his hair, tenderly.
"Are we going to meet Mulan's family soon?" Chen asked after a few minutes.
"Yes. I don't know how well Grandfather will be to travel, so her family may have to come here. But you'll meet them."
Chen stared up at Shang.
"Try to go to sleep now, Chen."
"Goodnight."
"Goodnight, Chen."
Shang leaned down and kissed his forehead, then stood up and left him to sleep.
He went to rejoin Mulan. To his complete amazement, she was now in the sitting room having an in depth discussion with his grandfather about Sun-Tzu and military strategy. The woman would never stop surprising him.
xxxxxx
The next day, Mulan greeted Shang when he returned home after picking Chen up from school. As they walked through the gate Chen had his head bent and Shang looked angry. Shang sent Chen into the house, then approached her. They walked to the pond and sat down together, talking.
Apparently there had been a fight between Chen and another boy, which Chen appeared to have started. The headmaster was concerned about the fact that Chen did not get along with the other boys at all and was extremely disruptive sometimes. If the disruptions and fights kept up, he told Shang that Chen would have to be suspended.
"Do you know what the fight was about, Shang?"
"No. Chen claims that he didn't start the fight. But he's always involved. He has to be doing something to start it. If he's suspended…I can't let that happen."
"Shang, did he tell you anything else? Did he tell you why they were fighting?"
"I didn't ask him. That isn't what's important. What's important is that he learn to control himself and not behave this way."
Mulan didn't agree with him about not finding out why from Chen, especially knowing what she knew about him now. But Chen was Shang's responsibility. As much as she wanted to say something, she knew she would be overstepping her boundaries if she started telling him how to raise his brother. She also understood that Shang knew and was used to military discipline. There was no 'why'. Orders were obeyed without question. Everyone behaved as they were expected. And when they were in his camp and fights broke out, it didn't matter who had started it or why the fight had occurred. It just wasn't supposed to happen; they were supposed to behave themselves.
"He wants to learn more Kung-Fu," Mulan commented.
"I know. I wonder if that might help him. I'm thinking about at least starting to teach him to meditate. It may calm him and help him to focus better."
Mulan agreed with him.
"Mulan, I'm sorry all of this is happening in front of you. This is the first time you are ever visiting my family and…"
"It's okay, Shang. I don't mind."
"I didn't think about what a difficult situation I would be bringing you into. Maybe…" he trailed off, a pained expression on his face.
"Shang, I want to be with you. And I like Chen. I know he can be a little unruly, but that doesn't bother me."
Shang embraced her.
"You're really amazing, Mulan."
She smiled at his compliment and threw her arms around him, kissing him.
They spent the rest of the afternoon sitting at the pond and talking. The wedding was to be exactly two months from that day. They would have to plan a time for their families to meet soon. And the rest of the wedding plans needed to be discussed.
They went inside just before dinner. Shang had sent Chen to his room after school. He went there now to tell him to wash up for dinner and come to the table.
Nothing was said about the fight in school during dinner. Grandfather Li and Mulan continued their discussion from the previous night. But she noticed that Chen remained silent throughout dinner and hardly ate.
xxxxxx
Shang escorted Mulan to her room and kissed her goodnight, then went to talk with his grandfather in the sitting room.
"I am going to take Mulan home tomorrow. I was thinking that I should talk to her family about them coming to meet you. I don't know if you are well enough to travel there."
"After you talk to them and arrange a time, I will write a letter to them formally inviting them here."
Shang was pleased with that.
"Chen really likes Mulan," Grandfather commented. "And she is really great with him. She actually seems to understand him, which is quite a feat considering how difficult he is."
"Then you like her, Grandfather?"
"She's a lovely girl. Smart too. But understand, Shang, it will not be easy for either one of you when you marry. This is not the way things are done and there are people who will talk. The things they say will not be nice. It will be especially hard on her because she is a woman."
"It will be okay. And she's not afraid of anything."
His grandfather laughed.
"I think Father would have liked her, too," Shang said, thoughtfully.
"Your father would have liked her for himself," he quipped.
"Grandfather," Shang muttered, shaking his head.
xxxxxx
Mulan lay on the bed in the guest room after Shang kissed her goodnight and went off to talk to his grandfather and retire for the night.
Mushu hopped out.
"So, it looks like his grandfather is coming around."
Mulan sat up and laughed. "Maybe. I think he was a little shocked that I had read Sun-Tzu. That's not something women usually read."
"Mulan?"
Chen stood in the doorway.
"Hello, Chen. Come on in and sit down." She gestured to the end of the bed and moved to the edge to sit beside him.
"Hi, Mushu," Chen said, smiling at the dragon.
"Hey, kid," Mushu greeted him.
"How are you doing, Chen?" Mulan asked.
Tears began to well up in Chen's eyes.
"Aw, Chen, what's the matter?"
"All the kids in school make fun of me."
"Is that why you had a fight today?"
"Yes."
"Do you want to tell me what happened?"
Chen shrugged. "Everyone in school thinks I'm weird."
"And they make fun of you for it?"
"Yes."
"Oh, I know how that is, Chen. Kids made fun of me because I was different, too."
They were silent for a moment.
"I was only trying to help," Chen began, "I just…" He trailed off, and Mulan saw that he was struggling to try to find a way to explain.
"You just what?"
"Gao was going to climb up this tree. They were daring him. I went and pulled him to stop him from doing it, and he fell when I was pulling him. It looked like I had pushed him down."
"Why did you want to stop him from climbing the tree?"
"He was going to fall from the top branch. I told him to not climb but he and the others just laughed and called me weird. And then he was still going to climb. I had to stop him."
"So, after you pulled Gao and stopped him from climbing the tree, the fight broke out?"
"Yes. He was mad because I had pulled him away from the tree and he fell."
"Did you tell Shang this?"
"No."
"Maybe you should, Chen."
"Why?"
"You don't want to tell him?"
Chen shook his head. After a minute he muttered, "I hate school. I hope they do suspend me so I don't have to go anymore."
Mulan put a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"Do the kids think you're weird because you warn them about things like what happened with Gao?"
"Yes."
"Oh. Well, you know, Chen, you have a very special gift."
"I do?"
"Yes. You are aware of things that most people aren't."
"Nobody ever believes me when I say anything."
"A lot of people don't understand. If you can, try to remain calm, especially when you're in school. I believe you, Chen. And you can always come and tell me. Okay?"
"I'm glad you're going to be my big sister, Mulan."
"I am, too, Chen. I've never had a brother or a sister."
"You haven't?"
"No. I'm an only child."
Chen hugged her.
"And now, I think you better go back to your room before Shang sees that you're up. He thinks you're in bed sleeping already."
Chen said goodnight to her and darted toward the door, poking his head out to glance up and down the hall before leaving the room.
