The doctor came in and Zhou sent him to Mulan first. After a thorough exam, he proclaimed her eye was simply blackened, but her wrist was sprained and her shoulder was out of joint. He recommended a cup of an herbal tea that would help relax her so it wouldn't hurt as much when he reset it. Li ran for the shops as soon as she had a list. Mulan dressed as the doctor went to look over Ling and Yao. After fifteen minutes, they came limping out, shirtless and bandaged. Mulan sat down, cradling her arm to her chest. Her wrist was neatly bandaged, but her eye was swelling. Ling gingerly lowered himself to the floor beside her. Yao grimaced as he plopped down on her other side. Chien-Po came out last followed by the doctor as Li arrived with the ingredients. She dashed into the kitchen to make the tea, while Zhou hovered in the doorway, his eyes on Mulan.
"What is the tea for?"
"To relax her so that I may put her shoulder back in place, Fa Zhou," he said, bowing nervously. He couldn't look him in the face.
"No need. I'll do it myself."
Mulan looked up, startled, and the doctor's face flushed. "Please, Zhou, I am sorry. But who would have thought she was a soldier?"
"Ha! Knowing her? I'm surprised it's taken you so long to see it," Ling scoffed.
"That woman is solid gold, and you'd better treat her like it from now on," Yao growled, and with a nasty slice down his cheek from one of the Huns' daggers, he looked even more dangerous than usual.
"Indeed. There is nothing Mulan would not do for her family and friends," Chien-Po said coldly. "And it is a shame that you have dishonored her instead of giving her the reception she deserves after saving China and our emperor."
The doctor shifted. "I can reset her shoulder."
"You will leave," Zhou said forcefully, tapping his cane against the floor.
"Or we'll make you," Yao said, and he stood up, ready and willing for another fight if it came down to it.
The doctor hurriedly bowed himself out just as Li came in with an aromatic pot of tea. She poured her daughter a cup then their guests.
"Do you know how to tell when this tea is working?" Zhou asked.
"We used to use it after hard training sessions," Mulan said after a moment. "I've had my shoulder dislocated twice before, Bàba. I'll let you know when you can reset it."
Mulan quickly drank the bitter tea then sat and breathed through the pain that radiated from her shoulder. "So?" she finally asked.
"So what?" Yao muttered.
"So what did you think of my plan, Yao?"
Yao's scowl of pain was replaced by an enthusiastic grin. "Another Ping specialty! Er, Mulan specialty. And easier than fittin' in that dress, too."
Zhou choked on his tea. "I beg your pardon?" he asked in bewilderment.
"That was a part of Mulan's plan that I skimmed over, Fa Zhou," Chien-Po said quickly. "Mulan disguised the three of us as palace concubines to get us close enough to surprise the Huns. We dressed up then climbed the palace."
Grandma laughed outright. "That must've been a sight."
"As I recall, the Huns on guard said something about ugly concubines?" Mulan teased.
"Well it wasn't you, sister," Ling scolded. "I think they were talking about Yao personally. I mean, that's quite an unusual sight, a bearded lady!"
The four soldiers laughed and had another cup of tea. After another few minutes, Mulan felt the relaxing effects take hold. She took a deep breath.
"Okay, Bàba. I think you can reset it now. But I need something to bite on."
"I got it," Ling said, and he got to his feet with a loud groan before limping into the guest room. He came back with a strip of leather. "Here. You sure do have bad luck with that shoulder."
Mulan took the leather with her good hand and smiled up at him. "I sure seem to."
Ling dropped down beside her again as she placed the leather in her teeth and took a deep breath. She nodded at her father, and he knelt down behind her. He observed her shoulder for a few moments then nodded and grasped her carefully.
"Take a breath in," he said steadily.
Mulan obeyed.
"And out. Good. Again."
Mulan continued to breathe until with no warning, her shoulder was jerked back into place as she exhaled. The short, sharp noise that came from her throat made everybody wince, and she dug her teeth into the leather as the sudden sharp pain became a dull ache. Ling reached out and took her hand, squeezing gently.
"It's all over," he said.
Mulan grunted and nodded, but it took her several long moments before she could unclench her jaw enough to loosen her teeth from the leather. She smacked her lips as she pulled it free, and Ling took it and set it on the table. He squeezed her hand one last time then leaned back and sighed, rubbing his ribs.
"Well, you know what's wrong with me. What happened to you two?" Mulan asked.
"Damn Hun had a knife," Yao muttered, trailing his thumb above the fresh gash on his face. "And he hit like a speeding wagon. But I took out his kidney for it," he added smugly.
"Very nice," Mulan said with a smirk. "And you, Ling?"
Ling sighed and stretched his side with a wince. "I'm afraid I almost got my ribs broken when that bastard body slammed me. They're definitely bruised and it hurts to breathe."
"More tea will help, but sleeping will not be fun," Mulan said.
"Agreed," Yao grumbled.
"What did you do while we were creating that gas field?" Ling asked Chien-Po.
"You were right, Ling," Chien-Po said quietly. "Nobody knew of Mulan's deeds. I rectified the situation and shared some details. Though some I did not have, since we never got to talk with you after we saved the emperor, Mulan."
Mulan nodded. "I thought it best not to linger," she said stiffly.
It was clear to her friends that she didn't want to discuss things in front of her parents, so Ling changed the subject.
"Yeah, well I'm glad the captain sent us down here," he said.
"Me, too," Chien-Po agreed. "It was an honor to meet your family."
"I like the village. Nice and small. Homey," Yao said.
"Maybe we'll be stationed here permanently," Ling suggested. "I mean, after the Huns are all gone, we'd have to be stationed somewhere."
"I'll put in a word for you," Zhou said.
"Really? Wow! Thanks!" Ling said.
"After what you've done for us, it's the least we could do in return," Zhou replied. He paused and glanced at Mulan. "Tell me what happened once you left."
Mulan set her cup of tea down. "It's not all good, Bàba," she said. "I made a lot of mistakes and did things you probably won't like."
"But you did them, and now they are a part of you. That makes me interested. Talk to me, my little blossom."
So Mulan did. With the help of Ling. Yao, and Chien-Po, Mulan told of everything that had happened while she'd been gone. Her family listened with rapt attention as they detailed more of what happened than Chien-Po had mentioned in public. Much to the relief of the three men, Mulan made no mention of her swimming escapade with them, glazing over that night by simply stating they'd received a message from the general and moved out the next day. And on they went, talking about finding the Imperial Army destroyed and the village gone and how they'd marched onward toward their duty. Zhou's eyes grew bright when he heard from Mulan herself how she'd taken the rocket and decimated the Hun army with one shot. Then she stopped and rolled her shoulder.
"More tea, mama?" she asked. "I'm starting to hurt everywhere."
"Of course."
"Wait. What happened after that?" Zhou asked. This was the same part that Chien-Po had paused at.
Mulan gazed at her father then reached down and pulled up the undershirt she wore to bare a wicked scar that slashed across her stomach and side. Zhou sucked in a breath.
"Shan Yu wasn't happy about the avalanche," Mulan said. "Before he got away, he slashed me with his sword. I got away on Khan, saved Shang's life, and then everybody else saved all of us from plummeting to our deaths. After they pulled us up, I passed out." She stared at the table. "When I woke up, they knew."
"Knew what?" Li asked.
"That she's a woman, not a man," Zhou said. He felt great compassion for his daughter, who had suffered through such intense humiliation in front of men who had become her comrades. No wonder she didn't want to talk about that moment.
"Yes," Mulan said quietly. She paused. "Shang spared my life because I had saved his. A life for a life. His debt was repaid. And then they left me alone on the mountain."
"All of them?" Zhou asked sharply.
"Yes, sir. All of us," Ling said. He said no more, but his face was set.
There was a long pause before Li stood up.
"I'll make some more tea," she said. "Then we should all rest."
"Rest sounds good," Chien-Po said. "We had a most unusual night."
"Let us know immediately if we get any messages from Captain Shang," Ling said. He stood up with a wince then held out his hand to Mulan. She took his hand and he pulled her to her feet.
"Me, too," Mulan said. "No doubt he'll want to know why the road is no longer passable."
Ling burst out laughing. "That's putting it mildly."
"Gotta admit, you got flair, Mulan," Yao said as he got to his feet.
"And an explosive flair at that," Chien-Po teased. "First the emperor's palace, and now a whole road."
"Hey, yeah!" Ling burst out. "Guess the only question is, what will she blow up next?"
The three men laughed as Li came in with the tea. They each drank down a cup then headed off to their room for some much needed sleep. Mulan sipped her tea more slowly, not particularly for the taste, but just for something to do. Her family knew more of her wartime activities than she'd ever thought to tell, and she didn't know how differently they would look at her for it.
Zhou came over and embraced her. "Mulan, my blossom, you've been through so much."
Mulan pulled back. "But the flower that blooms in adversity is the most rare and beautiful of all, Bàba."
Zhou looked stunned as he laughed. "Where did you learn that wisdom?"
"Shang said the emperor told him that. It's what made him follow me home. And also to return your helmut, Bàba. That was most important."
Mulan's eyes sparkled as Zhou snorted. "Indeed. But it is good advice. You have bloomed so beautifully, Mulan."
"It took awhile," Mulan said. "And I'm sorry for dishonoring you so, Bàba. I can't help it."
"You don't dishonor me, Mulan. You are my daughter." He paused. "Mulan the soldier has a nice ring to it. Better than what they say about you now. But you should have told me of the rumors. Why didn't you?"
"Was I supposed to come up to you and admit they think I'm a whore? Because that's a conversation no daughter wants to have with her father."
"That's a good point," Zhou sighed. "But next time, tell me of any unsavory rumors and I will stop them."
"I don't know what kind of rumors will be going around now," Mulan said. "We'll just have to see." Handing her mother her teacup, Mulan reached her good hand up and untied the soldier's bun to let her hair fall free. "I'm going to try and sleep, Bàba."
"Goodnight," he said.
"Sleep well," Li said.
"Doubtful, but thank you," Mulan said.
She turned and made her way to her room. She didn't even bother with anything else as she crawled into bed. Just like after a hard day's training and despite what she'd said to her mother, she was out like a snuffed candle in seconds.