A rooster crows in the distance at the crack of dawn as Mulan, her little brother, Mau, and their dog, Little Brother, get up. Mau rolls over sleepily in his bed as Little Brother lays on the covers, keeping him pinned. He remembers fondly the day they were given Little Brother. Mulan was told that she had gotten the honor of naming the dog, seeing as she was the oldest, the female, and the one who would take care of the dog most. She looked at the dog, an off white color with a couple brown spots on him, and her little brother, and said "well. I've always wanted a little brother. So his name will be Little Brother."
Mau still laughs at this thought. Their parents tried to explain about a hundred times that she had a little brother, technically, seeing as she was born 3 minutes before he, but she insisted that the dog's name remain. "Maybe she knew something I didn't…" He mutters to himself while petting Little Brother. "Maybe she was just being smug and mean." The dog wakes up, stretches, and jumps onto the floor with a soft thud. Mau is now able to get out of bed, but decides to lay and rest for a moment more. Little Brother turns around and gives Mau a soft grunt and then a small bark. "You're right. That doesn't sound like her. But what other reasons would she have?" He asked aloud, more to himself than the dog. He lays in bed for another minute, talking. "Today is sure gonna be a busy one. Huh?" He sighs while staring at the ceiling. He sighs, then pulls the covers off him, rolls over, and swings his legs over the side of the bed. By the time he does get up, Little Brother is gone…
And now in Mulan's room. She's giggling and swinging a wooden sword around in her nightgown, feeling kind of silly for having to go to a matchmaking ceremony in the first place, holding up the flower hair comb and matching sash that she wants to wear especially for the occasion. "The rest of my outfit may be decided for me," She sighed deeply and then muttered under her breath, "Just like the rest of my life" while staring out of her window at the blooms and veggies growing in their gardens "but I can add some cute little touches here and there to help calm my nerves." She said to herself in the mirror as she dropped her wooden sword, turned towards it and held the clip up to her waist-length tangled mess of a head of hair. "I should get ready to go into town." She muttered as she combed her hair and started putting on normal day-wear, a simple light pink kimono with dark blue trim, ribbon, and sleeve cuffs. "For some reason, Mama gets me A LOT of pink and purple." She muttered to herself as she looked for her clothes and got dressed. After getting ready, she ran about the house, performing her daily chores, the last one being to deliver tea to her father…
Fa Zhou stood at the family shrine, leaning against the walking stick he's used ever since coming back from the war, lighting the small dragon candle holder. "Please, help Mulan. Please, help Mau. Please, watch over them as they go through our traditions and they bring honor to our family."
"Baba!" She yelled out as she approached the family shrine. "I've brought you some tea." He came shooting out of the shrine with his walking stick barely keeping up with him, demanding to know what time it was, and bumped into Mulan, dropping her teacup. "That's ok, Baba. I brought a spare. Remember, three cups in the morning…" She said, procuring another teacup from under her sash where it was tied, and pouring tea into it. "... And three at night." He finished for her. As she handed the tea to her father, she calmly stated that, "It's mighty early, I still have time to help Mau with his chores if he needs any before leaving." Fa Zhou leaned on his walking stick and looked at his daughter, proud of the woman that she's become. "No matter what the matchmaker says today, I am already so proud of you." He said, holding her left cheek in his hand. They both smiled gently at each other before he dropped his hand. "I'll… still… go pray some more." He told her, as he turned back to the family shrine. "Ok Baba." Mulan said as she put the teapot down gently next to him, and kissed the top of his head before leaving.
As she was walking to the stables, she came across Mau and Little Brother. "Do you need any help with chores today before heading into town for your own ceremony?" She asked politely, bending down to see what Mau was doing better. "Nope. This trick you showed me saves me a lot of hassle and I can get everything done myself now." Mau said proudly as he straightened up, revealing Little Brother in a homemade harness with a bone dangling in front of him and a feed bag behind him. Mau smiled and flicked the bone, causing it to move and get Little Brother's attention. As soon as he noticed the bone, he took off, spreading feed as he ran. As Little Brother ran past Fa Zhou in the temple, he heard the clucking of chickens, suppressed a smile, and said one more long, desperate "Pleeeeeaaaaassssseeeeeeeee, help them BOTH today!" To the ancestors.
Mau gave Mulan a big hug, and wished her luck for today. She let go of the embrace, and held his shoulders at arm's length, staring into his eyes. "You need to figure out something before noon today if you don't want a bride picked by the matchmaker." She said with urgency in her eyes. "But… I don't… you know that I… what?" He trailed off. "I know." Mulan said, taking him into another hug, this one short. They both took a deep breath and let go. Mau heads off to tend the gardens, and Mulan, on Khan, heads to town.
When Mulan got into town, there was an eerie silence. "I guess this is what happens when you get to town before the town 'wakes up.'" She said to Khan. She made it to her destination, riding in faster than a speeding bullet and jumping off of Khan like she would get a score for her dismount. Khan waited for a second, then neighed. Mulan smiled, reached into her bag, and pulled out 3 apples. All of which she cut into fourths and left in the water trough that she had just filled for Khan. He took a couple dips before catching one of the apples in his mouth and was then crunching away happily. She patted his mane before going inside her aunt's home.
Once inside, Mulan was met with a trio of women, her mother and her mothers two sisters. Mulan liked her aunts. Usually. Right now, she might be a little cross with them manhandling her. They always seemed to have different ideas than her on literally everything, but that normally never bothered Mulan. "Men like girls with good taste." They start singing as they throw Mulan into a broiling hot bath. "Calm, obedient, who works fast pace." They sang as they put makeup on her face. And all Mulan could think was, 'I don't think I'll get a match if that's what men are looking for.' "AND A TINY WAIST." They sang as they cinched her sash so tight that she couldn't breathe. After Mulan's finishing touches and her hair was in a nice bun, her mother and aunts walked to the kitchen and started nibbling on buns while talking amongst themselves about how all their hard work will pay off when Mulan gets a match made.
As Mulan sat alone holding the flower hair comb they didn't put in, she sat wondering if this was really the best path for her, trying to convince herself that she wanted to settle down and have a family like every other girl, and about how Mau would feel when it was his turn in the hot seat. About that time, Grandma Fa came in, settled gently next to Mulan, and asked, "Last minute jitters?" Mulan just shrugged, not knowing what she was truely feeling, but feeling something wasn't right. "I have a few last minute touches myself." She said with a small wink. "A pendant for balance. Beads of jade, for beauty. You must proudly show it. Add some dice, just for luck, and even you can't blow it." Mulan looked in awe as Grandma Fa handed her a set of hand carved dice. "They're beautiful, Ama." "Not just that, but they were carved by your grandfather." "But… Isn't… Isn't that the last thing you have of him?" Mulan asked, tearing up. "Yes. But you need ancestral guidance more than I need a keepsake." She said shakily, handing out the dice to Mulan and smiling warmly. Mulan took them, and then took Grandma in her arms. "I love you too, Ama."
As they sat in embrace, they heard the start of drumming in the distance. "Oh. It's time." Mulan said, partially distracted. "You'll do great, My Little Flower." Grandma Fa said while taking the comb from Mulan and pinning it delicately in her hair at the base of her bun. Mulan smiled reassuringly at her, then grabbed her umbrella and ran out the door…
And almost into the back of one of the other girls, but she stopped on her heels just in time, and caught her breath as all the girls were turning a corner, relieved for things to be going this smoothly. As they made it to the Town Square and ultimately the Matchmaker's, they lined up and popped their umbrellas open. As Mulan crouched behind her umbrella, Fa Li, her mother, could see a plump woman with a tight bun enter the doorframe. "Fa, Mulan." The Matchmaker called out. She stood up and gulped, holding her hand up and feeling nervous. As she walked up to the steps of the Matchmaker's, a singular die fell out of Mulan's pocket unbeknownst to her…
As she walks up the steps to meet the Matchmaker, Mulan gives a soft, slightly nervous smile. The Matchmaker gestures for Mulan to come in, so she does. The Matchmaker closes the door behind them and, turning to Mulan, says curtly to, "State the final admonition." Mulan puts her umbrella in the umbrella holder by the door and takes out her fan, immediately fanning herself as she answers slowly. "To fulfill your duties calmly and…" She fans harder, more nervously… "Respectfully. Always think before you act." She says while putting the fan down. "This shall bring you honor and glory." She rushes out, still nervous. The Matchmaker grabs Mulan's fan and turns it around thrice, and also slides Mulan's sleeves up to make sure there's no writing there either. Upon seeing that Mulan had no cheat notes, the Matchmaker said, "Calm down, so far so good. The only thing I can see wrong is that you're too skinny." She said with an entirely straight face. "That won't do for having sons. I'll have to mark off for that." Mulan got a little upset at this. Too skinny? How could sh…
"Pour the tea." The Matchmaker said again. "And I don't want to repeat myself a third time." She finished. Mulan looked awestruck. 'A third time?' She pondered just how much she missed while she poured out 2 cups of tea. "To please your future in-laws, you must demonstrate a sense of poise, refinement… dignity." "Well, if you wanted me to have dignity, do you think I'd want to be here?" Mulan asked quietly and politely. "Wouldn't I be able to choose my own future and my own husband?" "AND SILENT!" The Matchmaker yelled out, slamming her teacup on the table and knocking over the charcoals that heated the pot on the side of the table, causing her sleeve to catch fire. As she tried getting up, her sleeve touched her dress in three places, her rear, her hip, and her other sleeve, catching them on fire as well. "PUT IT OUT! PUT IT OUT!" She screamed…
Outside, all that could be heard was a commotion and a loud screeching of "PUT IT OUT! PUT IT OUT!" Grandma Fa smiled and leaned over to Fa Li, "Sounds like it's going good in there." And Fa Li looked at the closed door in horror as the sounds continued.
Moments later, the Matchmaker burst out of the door on fire. Mulan runs up behind her and throws the tea from the teapot on the Matchmaker from behind, causing her makeup to run and her tidy bun to come loose, sloppily and slimy. Looking like a half melted, burnt clown, the Matchmaker walked up to Mulan, and very exasperatedly said, "I… you… URGH!" She stammered out, stomping her foot. "Due to circumstances you handled yourself very well… and… with poise." She added, grinding her teeth, almost as if she didn't want Mulan to hear that she had poise, or think that the events that took place were normal or acceptable. "I don't know how long it will take to find you a… suitable match… but I will try." She said to Mulan, almost bitterly. "AFTER I finish testing the rest of these girls." She said louder, addressing the crowd, sounding a bit nicer, but still peeved. "I just need a few… umm… Minutes? To change clothes." She announced, then turned around to walk inside, showing her pink bloomers with purple little hearts on them, and running her hand through her hair in disgust. Mulan and Grandma Fa stifled giggles. Fa Li snapped her head around to give them both dirty looks, and that made them erupt into racious laughter. They both doubled over in laughter, and during this time, Grandma Fa notices the die on the ground. She stops laughing long enough to look at it, smiles, and picks up the die that landed on the number 15, and then slides it back into Mulan's pocket without her realizing.
They went back to Mulan's aunt's place to have lunch while the other girls did their testing, to wait for when Mau would have his turn at the Matchmakers. Not too long after they had a fresh pot of tea made up and poured did Mau come in. "Good timing, brother. I've poured you a cup as well." "Thank you, sis. It'll really help the nerves." He said as he took his cup and drained all the tea in seconds. "Would you like a tea reading, My Dear?" Grandma Fa asked. "No, Ama… Actually, yes please. Anything would help." Mau said, slightly nervous.
Mulan's aunts started walking away from the table. They hated it when Grandma did anything 'out of the ordinary' but to Mulan, Mau, and their mother, it was as normal as a cat getting stuck in a tree. Meaning that it was something that was not uncommon, it happened often, but not everyday.
After Mulan takes her last sip, then she swishes hers while Mau swishes his, in a counterclockwise circle three times, and then they both put them on the table in front of Ama. "Hmm. Very interesting." She mutters, more to herself than anything, but it got the attention of both kids that are now trying to peer over their teacup lips to get a good look. Grandma Fa just smiled, remembering the first time that she ever read the kids their tea leaves.
In the gardens out by the Great Stone Dragon, Ama and the kids, age 7, have a picnic while Fa Li and Fa Zhou do their shopping. It was a beautiful summer day, with fat butterflies fluttering about lazily. One landed in Mulan's hair, and Mau tried to swat it out. "Now, now, kids. ALL nature is to be respected." "I didn't mean to be disrespectful, I just wanted to help get it out of sissy's hair." "I kinda liked it in my hair." Mulan said, sort of dreamily, staring out at the other butterflies in the gardens. "Butterflies are pretty and they tickle when they touch you." she added offhandedly. "They don't tickle. They crawl around looking for the best spot to drink your blood. Like leeches!" Mau said, panicking. "I swear, we get you a book on ALL bugs, and you ONLY read the leeches chapter…" Ama sighed out. "Not everything is trying to eat you, or drink your blood. Actually, very few things in the grand design of the world actually do. Most bugs and small animals would much prefer your tea." Ama added, while the small, wide-eyed Mau stared in awe. "I think I'll read more of my book later when we get back to the house, but…" Mau started. Mulan chimed in, and Mau didn't know if she had some cool power like twin telepathy or if she was just wondering the same thing in her own little butterfly filled head, "But since you mentioned tea, can you do a tea reading? Please, Ama? Please!" After the first 'please' Mau started joining his sister in pleading. Whatever drove her to ask didn't matter to him as much anymore, just asking did. After a moment, Ama chuckles out, "Oh. So you two are ganging up on me now? I should have had warning that twins would be such a handful." She paused for a half a second, looking at the twins, lips quivering and still periodically saying please, smiled once more, and said "Yes. You two know the drill, yes?" "Drink and swish. Then give it to you. Right Ama? Isn't that what you told Mama when you read hers the other day?" They said in unison. "Twins can be scary sometimes." Ama said under her breath as the kids drank their tea.
After they finished the last sip of tea, they swished their cups counterclockwise three times and gave their cups to Ama. Ama said thank you and took a peek into Mau's first. A few shapes were at the bottom of his cup made of tea leaves. Something not usually odd, but turned odd as she saw the same thing in Mulan's cup. She asked them to swish their cups again. So they did. Three more counterclockwise circles later, Ama took their cups again, same thing. "Well, third times the charm." She said under her breath. So they did. This time, their cups looked exactly the same EXCEPT for what looked like a bone in Mulan's cup. Ama tried to start reading their cups, and it was strange, as they've never had this happen with their cups, and it was hard to get a correct fortune that didn't sound like a cookie cutter answer given to the both of them. So she read their palm at the same time that she read their cup. One at a time. Mulan's fortune came to be that everyone treated her like a man, a fully grown, deep voiced man even though her mother and her wore matching dresses everyday. She held onto this thought as she read Mau's hand and cup. Mau's was somehow the same but the complete opposite. Mau's fortune came to be that he was alone, in the dark, wearing dresses, and everyone looked down on him from a light coming from above. 'Was he in some hole?' Ama thought as she delved deeper. Throughout her vision, Mau wore different dresses, and didn't come out of the hole himself. Toward the end of her vision, she saw Mulan come in through a doorway. 'Did she make that herself?' Ama thought. And afterwards, Mulan took Mau through the door that she created where they were met with applause.
When Ama opened her eyes again, she realized she was squeezing Mau's hand a little tighter than she meant to, and Mulan was holding his shoulders and telling him that everything would be alright. 'Is that why she was in Mau's vision?' Ama thought as she let go. The kids waited intently for their fortunes, for Ama told them she'd tell them both their fortunes together at the end of their readings. "Well." Ama started, not knowing what to say at first. "It seems that you two will be confusing people for the rest of your lives. And at some point, your mother will press you for more girl time and outings, Mulan. I think you need to try to combat people confusing you for your brother."
As Grandma Fa read the tea leaves that were in front of her, she sighed in relief and then gasped audibly in horror. "Oh, dear." She rasped out, clutching her chest. "What is it, Ama?" Both Mulan and Mau asked in unison. "I don't… you don't…" She started shakily, as her daughters who left came back into the room to help Grandma Fa. "What have you kids done to her?" "Nothing!" Mau spits out angrily in their defense. "We know just as much as you do." Mulan said politely but bitterly without taking her eyes off her Ama. The aunts grabbed Grandma Fa and propped her up better, gently. Once Grandma Fa was situated with pillows, a shawl, and a new cup of tea for herself, she was finally calmed down enough to tell Mulan and Mau their readings. "I have good news and bad news. Which do you want first?" "Aww, man." Mulan said, "I assume the bad news is mine. Lay it on me." "Actually…" Ama started, looking at Mulan's face, and then starting to tell her what she saw instead. "I will tell you your reading first. You will have a beautiful family, a husband and three daughters. And bring this family so much honor your great-great-grandchildren will be born with it." Mulan tried to smile and look pleased, that's what everyone in this room wants for her, isn't it? But somehow hearing about herself having three daughters made her face drop. 'I guess I'll just be another homely little wife then, like every woman in the village.' She thought to herself, on the verge of tears. "That IS bad news." She said, slumped over herself. Mau noticed the shift in her attitude and piped up, chuckling softly, hoping to cheer Mulan up. "Well, that's not too bad. Only three daughters. Tell me, Ama, how many children will I be taking care of." Grandma Fa gulped, and then sighed. "None." She finally said. "Your fate is to die as a result of the war."
Mau's smile dropped from his face. Everyone at the table looked shocked. Both aunts looked relieved that they don't practice 'such silly nonsense' as they called it. Fa Li looked blank faced, but a tear fell silently from each eye.
After lunch and tea readings, Mau went outside and gathered materials to make some stink bombs and a couple regular bombs. While everyone else in the house was eating, and most people outside the house were busy getting ready, Mau set up his stink bombs around every corner of the Town Square. They went off with direct heat, so lighting them when the time comes. Mau chuckled and pulled up his mask. He didn't want anyone to know it was him. Even though he only had a few friends, he wanted to keep himself out of everyone's mouths and save as much face as possible, so he didn't even wave to his friend, Pia, who he's pretty sure didn't know it was him anyways.
Everyone in the house left soon after lunch and tea to see the rest of the ceremonies and to see Mau's. When they got to the Town Square and joined the crowd, they all saw that the girls from earlier were still behind their umbrellas, all had given up crouching and were sitting on their shawls. At this time, the Matchmaker comes out of her home, hair and makeup redone as well as changed, and announces that she will continue on with the ladies. She calls the next girl, Xiu-Ying, and she gets up, a little slower than Mulan, probably due to having to wiggle around so she wasn't stepping on her dress when she got up from her sitting position. "Very poised… Let's see what we have here." The Matchmaker said. Xiu-Ying made it up the steps to the Matchmaker's and the door was immediately shut behind them. Everyone waited with baited breath, Mulan included. So much so that nobody noticed Mau ran off to find his friend, Pia, whom he just remembered ISN'T at matchmaking day, even though she's of age, and he wanted to know why and how she got away with it.
When he got to Pia's, she was out in the garden with a bunch of small children. She was pulling up weeds and talking to the children. As he got closer, he started noticing things, like the fact that she had a baby on her back, and all the children were girls. "Pia?" Mau said, "Hi." "Don't start with a 'Hi.' That was you I waved at not too long ago setting weird lanterns up around the square. Wasn't it? Wasn't it?" She started rambling out faster than Mau could keep up with. "Well, I… You… I didn't… What have you been up to?" Mau stammered out while scratching the back of his head. "That's how I know it was you. You're changing the subject. I know you better than that, Mau." Pai said with the biggest grin Mau's seen all day. "Well. As long as you don't tell anyone or try to stop me, I don't see why I can't tell you. Yes. Yes it was me. I set up stink bombs in the hopes that when they call for the men, I can set them off before my name is called and the Matchmaking event today will be canceled." "My dear sweet boy. That won't change your future. The elders would simply reschedule the Matchmaking ceremony for when the stench cleared out of Town Square." "So, I'd have to make a few bombs a week for the rest of my life. That sounds better than being hitched to someone I don't love." "Or want." Pia added with a small wink. Even though Mau has never told Pia about him feeling weird in his own body, she knows anyway, and is still Mau's best friend. Mau smiled at her back, kind of goofily. Then he recalled why he came to her place in the first place. "Hey. How are you not at the Matchmaking Ceremony anyways?" He belted out, catching Pia off guard. "Well, to be quite honest… I think I got myself tied up in a thing my dad called a cult." Pia said, leaning closer to Mau and speaking quieter. "See. There were these two little girls who said they had a baby sister who needed help, and when they brought me to their hideout, it looked like a dozen children were living there with the eldest being about 12, unemployed because of her age, and trying her hardest to take care of everyone there. Unlike my Pa, who likes to believe that the wealthy stay wealthy by hoarding it, I believe what's the point in having all of this if there's no one to share it with. So I took them all in. My Pa is still running the business from sun up to sun down and only coming home to eat. I told him the news the other day over dinner and he said something about a "woman's cult" whatever that is. So, I guess the long story short is that I'm not at the Matchmaking Ceremony because of the girls. They are my passion, my job, and Pa said if I learn to take over the business from him, I can keep the girls, not take a husband, and take over the business someday. So, I think Pa talked to the elders AND the Matchmaker to inform them of what I'm doing and why I will take no husband. Ya know. Other than the fact that I've never wanted one nor will want one." She said shrugging, smiling at Mau. "But Xia-Ying? I'd take her anyday." "Speaking of, she's IN the Matchmakers right now." Mau interrupted Pia's daydreaming to say. "Well, damn… Another great girl, lost to the patriarchy."
After a while, Xiu-Ying and the Matchmaker came out. The Matchmaker stood on the top of the steps, announcing that, "It will be so easy to find a suitor for this one." While looking over at Mulan and squinting her eyes. Xiu-Ying stood in the middle of the steps, taller than everyone else, but not as high as the Matchmaker, looking like she wanted to be anywhere but here. While Mulan was taking notice of Xiu-Ying, there was a commotion behind everyone. Since most everyone in the village came to attend the Matchmaking ceremonies, the commotion was headed towards the crowd of people.
Realizing that the commotion was getting closer, some people towards the edge of the crowd started to scatter, and some on the other side of the crowd altogether tried to use this as their excuse to leave.
Just then, a man in blue with a small beard that would remind you of a soul patch but is 3 inches long, stopped his horse around 5 feet away from the crowd. Two children that were playing only moments ago, dropped their dolls and tried to pet the horse, and the man yelled at them. "I come with far more important things than letting your… brats… 'pet the horsey.'" He said the last part in quotation marks, and smirked, making fun of the children and their mother. Turning to the rest of the crowd, he then started speaking again, "MEN! I BRING URGENT NEWS FROM THE EMPEROR! ALL FAMILIES MUST PROVIDE ONE MALE OF AGE FOR THE IMPERIAL ARMY!"
Chatter immediately started amongst the crowd while Mulan walked up to the mother and children to help them pick up their toys and stand back away from the angry man and his beautiful horse. "SILENCE!" the man in blue shouted, and then cleared his throat. "Ahem* I am Chi-Fu. And as I call your family name, I need one male to come forth to me and procure a scroll."
The man, Chi-Fu, then started going down a list of family names in alphabetical order. Ba… Cho… Dhang… Fa…
Mulan snapped her head up at the mention of her family name, dolls in arms, while the children's mom was holding their hands and pulling away from Chi-Fu. Mulan was closest, and didn't see Mau, so she started to slowly approach Chi-Fu. "Sir?" She almost whispered. "Sir!" She then shouted. "WHAT DO YOU WANT WOMAAAAAANNNN?" Chi-Fu shouted directly into her face. Mulan balled her fists but kept calm. "I want…" "YOU TO NOT TALK TO MY SISTER LIKE THAT, YOU OLD CODGER!" Mau yelled out from the outskirts of the crowd. Chi-Fu looked taken aback and appalled for nobody had ever talked to him like that, especially 'defending a woman' which in his eyes was beneath him. As Mau continued walking to Chi-Fu, he kept talking. "For my family. My honor. And my emperor... But NEVER for someone like YOU… I will serve to honor the Fa family." He finishes, while reaching Chi-Fu, and abruptly yanks the scroll from his hand. He opened it and took a quick glance. "Tomorrow morning, huh?" He muttered while looking up to Chi-Fu, still smugly on his horse. "I guess the 'noble' have no concept of honoring anyone but themselves. This is barely enough time for everyone to say goodbye to their families." "Not my circus, not my monkeys. Take care of your business before reporting to camp. TOMORROW MORNING!" He shouted the last bit to the rest of the crowd, and then continued calling names. Xiu-Ying's family name was called, and she slowly approached Chi-Fu. "Please sir, The only one I have left is my father. He's old, has a bum leg, and acquired it in the last war. Might he please be pardoned so I'm not left with no one." "That does not seem to me to be of any problem. It is your Matchmaking day. Is it not? I'd suggest worrying less about your father, and more about if a lady such as yourself is worthy of a husssss-baaaaaaannddddd…" Chi-Fu said, drawing out the last word, sickeningly. "With that in mind, if you refuse to give this to your father, he will be arrested for treason. So decide wisely." He eyed her up and down, and then added, "if you can." Chi-Fu said, tossing the scroll at Xui-Ying's feet. Mulan scoffed. Chi-Fu laughed and continued on with his list.
When all of the families were called, Chi-Fu took one last dramatic look around the crowd and said, "Enjoy your last few hours of freedom. Because tomorrow, you'll be mine." He said, leading his horse and men away, off to the next village to strike unnecessary despair.