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The Wood Orchid
Chapter 4: The Misunderstanding
Yíbīn was a fairly large trading village, not much to look at from a distance located at the junction of the Yangtze and Min rivers. Its walls appeared sturdy enough, the focus on functionality clear with its simple sand coloring that may appear weak but on closer inspection, the strength was made clear. Farther from the capital and on a major trading route, this village was fairly large and successful enough to provide its own protection against bandits and other miscreants.
Before making their final approach, Shang expressed the need to develop a proper story to provide to anyone they might interact with. If their true identities were used, they would cause a disturbance and unneeded attention on their way to the capital. The story of the victory from the Imperial City had time in the previous months to be spread across the country. The Captain, now General, Shang was admired and celebrated by all. The disturbance his reputation would cause would be more a nuisance than a hindrance. However, the story of the daughter of a noble war hero turned soldier saving the emperor caused turbulence despite earning the emperor's blessing. Most of the country's citizens were grateful of her heroics but there were radical conservatives who were appalled and affronted at a woman daring to disguise herself and steal the honor of a man by becoming a soldier in the noble Chinese army. A sadness and sense shot through Mulan as she remembered this fact.
With time being precious on their journey out of respect for the emperor, they needed to avoid disruptions if possible. The only viable cover they could conjure was the story of being an engaged couple returning to the bride-to-be's family to arrange the wedding date. The war had understandably limited the able bodied men to escort the bride to her family so there was no other choice but for the groom to escort the bride. It was not the most solid story but it would be comparable enough to the question or two. Mulan had to duck her head in an attempt to conceal the rosy color that was quickly arising on her cheeks as they discussed it, thankful that they were able to keep a professional comradery.
A large gated archway allowed travelers into the village and the traffic appeared colorful and busy upon approaching. There was certainly the beginnings of an event going on. This would be beneficial to moving through the village and blending in with the crowd, cover identities intact. They approached at a leisurely pace, both looking forward to a warm meal and shelter that night. As they passed through the city gates, it became apparent that there was a celebration being prepared. People bustled about with wide smiles, typically with loads of wares in hand or in tow. Children danced and played, often getting underfoot but none seemed to mind. Smells of roasted meats, luscious breads, and sweets of all kinds invaded the senses tempting the passersby. Colorful lanterns and fabrics were being hung everywhere in decoration creating excitement and anticipation for the great event.
"Let us find an inn first, then we can explore if you would like." Shang abruptly said after they had passed the gates after a bout of silence due to both silently observing their surroundings and examining the potential threats as both could not easily forget their training. "I would prefer we do not part ways in the crowd; we can not afford the risk of separating. The emperor will be expecting us as soon as possible and chancing fate would be ill-advised. I have word that the Méiguī^ Inn is quaint and reliable."
"I will be grateful for just a fire and a hot meal", was her simple reply.
Shang's slight smile and nod of his head was her reward. They continued on, winding through the streets and people. The structures were close together, reminding Mulan of the Imperial City though there were far less structures and the quality was not the same, sturdy but not attractive. This was very much a town of business focused more on utility. As it grew, houses and business were connected and fit in between other structures creating alley ways and roads.
As they continued, Mulan observed a building with a beautifully carved sign designed to look like a red rose, very similar in appearance to the ones blooming on the bushes at either side of the entrance. As they traveled closer, Mulan marveled at these flowers that defied the present winter conditions almost as if to say, "Winter is done! Be gone! We welcome the Spring!" Their many wild rose petals a crimson red opening up and appearing as the bloody tears of Spring ready to bring new life to the world. Mulan had always admired the flora around her and the appearance of the roses reinforced her love for the beauty of nature.
"Ah, we have found it with greater each than I anticipated" Shang commented, bringing Mulan out of her reverie. She followed his gaze and found her eyes back on the beautifully crafted sign in shape of the roses; not as beautiful, but striking in its craftsmanship. Engraved and painted in white, scripted letters was the name of their destination, "The Méiguī Inn". A small alley to the right of the building gave hints of a stable so they wordlessly followed down the alley. As Mulan was passing the neighboring building's open window, she peered through and observed a tavern of sorts with a few early evening customers enjoying the musical act playing. The smell of food wafted out of the portal and her stomach kindly reminded her how hungry she was.
Catching up to Shang she asked, "After we get settled in our rooms, should we eat over there?" He only had to inhale before smiling and stating, "That sounds wonderful; I could use a good meal." They continued only a little ways further before coming onto the small stable, only five stalls, that seemed to be built under the rooms of the inn. After ensuring Khan and Lixue were settled in their own stalls with the available hay, the last two remaining, the followed the alley back to the main entrance of the inn. The first floor of the building seemed to consist of the small stable and the entrance hall for the Méiguī Inn. There were two more stories that could be observed, presumably the locations of the rooms. Mulan took a moment to admire the roses before, as per usual, she hurried to catch up to Shang. Upon following him through the door, she was greeted by an older, middle aged woman who 's smile was weary though genuinely pleasant.
"Good evening! Are you searching for a room?" the lady of the house asked in a kindly voice.
The General, in his incognito fashion, "Hello madam. Yes, my betrothed and I need two beds for the night. We are just passing through"
A slight frown graced the inn keepers face, "Apologies but my last room is my largest and good for a couple. I would hate for you to be uncomfortable and put you in a compromising position, but since you both are betrothed, I hope you would not be too aghast if I still offer the room. Any other decent establishment will be filled by now I'm certain due to the festival's popularity. Any other inn with availabilities may be less… not as… shall we say proper? If you stay the night, I can assure you myself nor my staff shall disclose anything that may put the sanctity of your betrothal at risk."
Mulan was wary of the situation. While under false names (Ah, she needed to figure out what those were), they were not using their own reputations but the slight chance of someone who is familiar with them and discovering them it what could be taken as a compromising position was something she was reluctant to risk. Their previous shared experiences in the army where the close quarters were nothing to blink at, were making the situation a little less awkward though. Her reputation in terms of marriage was in ruins enough, but she most certainly did not want to risk Shang's reputation. She glanced over to her traveling partner who had the unspoken question behind his dark eyes. She shrugged slightly knowing he would interpret it as "We might not do better".
"Your discretion will be appreciated madam, thank you." Shang responded, pulling out his coin purse. "As we are pressed for time to arrive at our destination, we would be happy to take the room. We can pay up front."
They quickly handle the business transaction before the kindly innkeeper states, "Wonderful! I thank you for your business and I will prepare your room. I presume you were able to find the stable?" after nods from the travelers, she continued, "While I prepare your room, might I recommend the neighboring establishment? It is ran by my sister and her family. I may be biased but the food is delicious, especially for travel-weary folks. They have musicians tonight as well due to the festival."
Mulan chimed in, "That does sound good, I could not help but be tantalized by the smell after admiring your gorgeous roses."
"Thank you. This inn has been in my late husband's family for generations." She responded smiling softly. "The roses have been with the inn as long as the inn has been here. It, as well as the roses, have become dear to me. Now please, go, eat, relax. I will ensure your bags are in your room and that it will be ready after you eat so that you may enjoy our festival tonight!" She sent them off with a well-meant wave of her hands before heading up the stairwell, presumably to prepare the room.
Mulan's stomach rumbled in encouragement for her to nourish her body. She was so eager for food and to do something other than worry about their sleeping arrangement, she made it through the door before she could turn around and see Shang staring off, seemingly lost in thought.
His weariness was apparent more so now. His inner turmoil a raging river coursing through him, pushing the dutiful flow through him, seemingly not allowing even a thought to another, perhaps, more desirable path that could bring happiness to him.
Her heart ached with unthought-of feelings she was unable to classify at the moment. She wanted to help but she was unsure how and her ideas that she did have seemed to absurd to be possible. He was more than a comrade to her, he was… a friend. She just hoped he considered her a friend as well. All she wanted right now was to go eat dinner with her friend and spend time with a person who made her feel like anything was possible. She wanted to ease whatever troubles that were holding something back in him.
"I am positive the wall will still be there for you to admire after we enjoy our first decent meal in days", she said light heartedly towards the melancholy general. She knew he was weary from the travel and was sympathetic, but she knew what he needed right now. He required the same as her, a hot meal and perhaps a stiff drink or two for good measure.
His eyes shifted down and rested on her face as a nearly invisible smirk graced his face. She only knew it was there out of experience; he did not easily express any emotions ever. He wordlessly followed through the door behind her as they wandered towards the main entrance of the tavern which was on the street as well, to the left of the inn.
The smell of food was more than tantalizing now and she turned to give Shang, straggling along behind her. She just grinned excitedly at him which earned her a chagrined smile and question, "Are you ever not hungry?"
"Only after I've just eaten," she responds light-heartedly.
He chuckles a little before stepping ahead of her to open the door for her, always the gentleman.
"After you milady," he said with a mock half bow, knowing her aversion to anything proper.
"Why thank you my little kumquat," she replied teasingly, fingers resting on his shoulders. He grimaced at the name, but his eyes darted to where her hand lingered. She blushingly withdrew her hand realizing they had a bit if an audience when they entered.
A woman with similar appearance though more jovial in manner and rounder in face greeted them with a smile, "Please take a seat wherever you like, I will be over in a moment." Her hands were filled with wooden serving ware as she almost comically balanced on one foot to open a door to what was most likely the kitchen.
Glancing around the small, yet pleasant tavern, she observed a small area that had seemingly been cleared out for the musicians that currently occupied the space to the left of the entrance. The three musicians were playing a pleasant tune, lovely and carefree. One played a bowed instrument with silken strings, another with a bamboo flute, and the last with a stone percussion set. The ten tables were almost all filled with families and groups of friends, all glancing to notice the newcomers before returning their attention to the musicians. Five of the tables were in fact booth seating on the right of the establishment.
There was one booth available in the far right corner that Shang started towards. Not wanting to draw attention back to them, Mulan reluctantly played her role as a demure bride-to-be, she followed Shang wordlessly with her head slightly bowed. Once they reached the booth, her fake fiancé allowed her to seat herself first. He knew her pride needed some bolstering while having to pretend to be something she's not. She smiled her thank you while gracefully sliding into the booth. The army had done wonders to improve her clumsiness through it could not totally eradicate it. Shang slid in next to her, almost close enough for their legs to touch; the booth was small and space was limited.
"Shall we decide new names?" he asked.
"I suppose that would be a wise idea. The easier we can travel through, the faster we will get to the palace. I almost want to press on but I'm sure you'll agree that we need a night of proper rest. Traveling weary is unwise."
"I was considering Sun Kai for myself, and perhaps Xu Jiao for you?" he hesitantly suggested.
She contemplated; his suggestion sounding too pretty for a girl like her. She was in no mood to argue or debate so she agreed with a nod.
Before they could do anything else, the tavern keeper bustled over in a flurry of cheer. She smiled as she greeted them.
"Hello my dears! My name is Yáng Huān, please call me Huān. May I say you both look weary and in need of a good meal and drinks," she said smoothly as she set down the goblets in her hand on the table in front of them. "Drinks are here now and I can bring both of you some wonderful roasted lamb and vegetables. And for tonight's Festival of Nü Gua, I have made my special cherry blossom moon cakes, free of charge. Does that sound acceptable for you both?"
Mulan smiled pleasantly at this woman who was addressing them both, and not acting as many do in their patriarchy based society. It made her comfortable enough to speak up for the both of them, "That sounds wonderful, thank you. We were recommended to come here by your sister, I believe. We are staying with her tonight."
The lady's face lit up. "Oh, so she was able to fill the last room! I was worried… This festival for the Goddess of Creation and Marriage, Nü Gua*(1), marks the beginning of spring is popular with single young folks as yourselves. They come here in celebration in hopes of finding luck for an auspicious marriage. Some even get married on this night! It can be hard for my sister to find a couple to fill that room for every single room is sought after first. You are such a lovely couple too; you have a quite a beautiful wife sir." Both of the members of the supposed marriage were growing redder by the second, Shang better able to keep his composure though. Before he could correct her though, Huān laid down the final item she'd been holding, a tray with two bowls of soup. "I hope you are able to enjoy tonight's festivities. I'll be back with your food shortly," she said over her shoulder as she bustled back, empty tray in hand.
Mulan chagrinned, "Well, our names or story were not even needed… And that's the fastest betrothal to marriage I've ever witnessed." She hoped to navigate around the awkward position they had been placed in suddenly.
It seemed to work as Shang raised an eyebrow and smirk as he said, "Then you obviously have not spent a lot of time at court. We might have done better to start like that," another slight blush hit his face as he stumbled over his next words, "At the- I mean- before we entered the city that is."
Seeing an opportunity to further the conversation away from the awkward situation, she ventured, "I really have not spent time at court. What am I to expect when we get to the palace?"
His face morphed into a contemplating face as he seemingly attempted to configure a way to explain to her the complexities of court life. His pensive face tilted up with his eyes towards the ceiling, staring into space; it pulled her in as she admired his features yet again. The small butterflies in her stomach were flying at such a rate, she was surprised one didn't fly out of her mouth when it opened. She was afraid to acknowledge the feelings she had though. She knew they were there, bubbling inside her, but to even think about any possibilities seemed impossible.
"I cannot speak to the woman's perspective in court, obviously," he cut the silence with, "But the type of battles that happen in court occur in verbal forms where the finesse of words accompanied by even the slightest of physical actions can carry great weight and meaning. My father was able to introduce me to some of the verbal battle skills but I must admit a lack of proficiency in this area."
"So the great and mighty general admits a weakness? I'd never thought I'd see the day," she retorted with a hand resting on her chest, almost flirtatiously much to her shame.
His deep seated smirk that awoke her butterflies again appeared on his face as he replied, "I prefer to focus my attention of skills on more… physical agendas."
The butterflies felt more like a troupe of soaring eagles now. Her face red, she diverted the conversation towards the food in front of her by fumbling for one of the bowls in front of them with both hands. Her clumsiness returned with a vengeance as the hot broth of the soup sloshed onto her hands causing her to drop the bowl, spilling more broth onto herself and the table. The bowl had luckily enough fallen flat with some broth remaining with the dumplings.
Shang grabbed one of the cloth napkin on the tray and cradled her hands in his, drying them and soothing them in turn.
"You must always find some way to hurt yourself, mustn't you?" he grinned at her.
"Yes, well it only seems to happen around you so one could argue that you are the cause," she jokingly refuted.
His face fell slightly as his eyes flitted up to meet hers before responding, "I would never do anything to intentionally harm you. You are to dear to me… that is-" he was fumbling his words now as his hands also fumbled over hers attempting to soothe them after their scalding douse, "that is to say, we have a- we have gone through many trials together and I am grateful for your friendship and I am lucky to be traveling with someone a can trust with my… life." He withdrew his hands and returned his eyes to hers.
She felt comfort and loss at his confession and chose to be content with this for now, at least outwardly. She smiled and thank him, "I'm grateful for your trust, and I hope you know you have mine in return." Her hands feeling better, she withdrew her gaze from his with a small smile and returned to pursuing after the delicious looking soup.
She did not meet his gaze as she held the bowl to her lips and cautiously slurped the hot soup. It was the most comforting food she had had in days! As she swallowed the broth down, she used the provided chopsticks to pick out a dumpling. Glancing up she saw Shang attempting to get a dumpling to his mouth as it sat precariously between the two chopsticks. She giggled unabashedly as the dumpling inevitably fell back into the bowl.
"Having trouble?" she teased.
He just glared at her good-naturedly as he brought the bowl up to his mouth and slurped his soup. She smiled as she began to observe the musicians. She allowed herself to relax and enjoy the moment. She ate the soup more quickly than what may have been polite due to her hunger and the fact she was enraptured in the moment of listening to the music. After finishing the soup she began sipping the drink provided, a new rice wine. It was pleasant to the tastes and gave her a warm feeling the same as the soup, though this warmth seemed to spread across her body, relaxing her muscles, easing the pain that came from the previous days of traveling. They both sipped their drinks in a comfortable silence, letting their worries disappear momentarily. They were both content to watch the musicians and observe the people around them. Most appeared to be locals based off their interactions with Huān. Despite their relaxed state, both of the supposed couple did not drop their guard; it was habit to always be aware. Though, while they were distracted in observing their surroundings, they both failed to observe their immediate surroundings. They had slid closer together as they relaxed almost leaning on one another.
Huān returned carrying their food and the two quickly separated as they sat up. A slight blush yet again made its way to Mulan's cheeks (how she wish she'd stop doing that!). Huān set down the tray with a knowing smile.
"Here's your dinner, the roasted lamb has been receiving compliments all night so I hope you enjoy it! You both seem so tired; I brought over some of my personal favorite rice wine. It will perk you right up to enjoy this festival!"
She set down two simple wooden plates with a generous portion of lamb on each with colorful roasted vegetables accompanying it with a drizzle of a sauce. Following the dinner plates came another bottle that replaced their other bottle that had been emptied to their surprise.
"And finally…here we go!" she exclaimed as she set down another plate that had two moon pies with a design delicately carved on top to look like a rose. "I only make them twice a year! Once for this festival and once for my sister's birthday."
Shang smiled and bowed his head, "Thank you Madame Huān, you have been a generous hostess to us."
Mulan grinned and mirrored his gesture.
"Oh it's nothing! The arrival of spring always gets me excited. It is one of my favorite times of the year. I hope your journey takes you back through this village when the beauty of spring banishes the dreary signs of winter. The local plants bloom so gloriously, you would think Nü Gua herself planted them here. Now then, please enjoy!"
And she was off again, bustling to another table, smiling and spreading a feeling of happiness and hope that was contagious.
"I like her!" Mulan said grinning. "So, we haven't really discussed it, but after seeing all the excitement, I'm too curious not to go see what this festival is like. Would you be willing to accompany me so I might go? Please?" She puffed her lower lip out, not something she would normally do, but the first bottle of rice wine was making her a little daring and giddy.
Grabbing the bottle of rice wine, Shang poured each of them a cup. "I suppose we could, we could use a bit of fun after these last few dismal months. Let's not stay out too late. We will need to travel when the sun rises."
Mulan's grin grew as she raised her cup. "There's the spirit! To Nü Gua?"
Shang raised his cup in return. "To Nü Gua," he replied, giving in to her.
As their cups clinked, their night began.
Disclaimer: The author does not own the motion picture "Mùlán" or any of its characters. This story is written for creative purposes only; there is no monetary benefit. Any historical or religious references used are implemented with creative licensing and no disrespect to any culture or religion is intended.
Author's Note:
Minor changes and edits have been made to this chapter since the original posting.
*Historical Notes:
(1) "In the earliest creation myths from China, Nü Gua is an independent powerful goddess, the creator of humankind. She is a matchmaker, bestows fertility, invents sound and music, and brings harmony to heaven, earth, and humanity. She is a benefactor to people and all living creatures. … In the Year of the Snake it is important to remember and honor Nü Gua, who represents an important aspect of the Chinese matriarchy, culture, and cosmology. She is the Great Mother of Humans, a cultural heroine, and one of the most powerful and influential primordial goddesses in ancient Chinese mythology." – acutonics(.com)/news/the-myth-of-nue-gua-chinese-snake-goddess/
^Name Meanings:
Méiguī 玫瑰 – rose
Yáng 洋 Huān 欢 – (ocean), (happy, pleased)