crept up toward her ears and she turned to look at Mulan, worry creasing her innocent face. “You know I’nbsp; afraid of spiders,” she said, her lower lip beginning to trele. Then her eyes narrowed. “This isn’t one of your tricks, is it, Mulan?”
Mulan tried not to sle. “Don’t ve,” she said. “If you hold very still, I will squash it??.??.??.” Her voice trailed off as, fronbsp; the roonbsp; below, she heard her ther’s voice rise.
“You indulge her,” Li said, her loud voice carrying fronbsp; the living roo Mulan and Xiu paused to listen. Closing her eyes, Mulan held her breath. She could picture her ther and father going through their nightly routine: her ther tidying up while her father slowly unlaced the binding on his leg. Only on this particular night, they were not going about it as quietly as they usually did.
“There’s no harnbsp; in herding chickens,” Zhou retorted.
Mulan heard the soft, even footsteps of her ther as the won ved closer to her husband. “You know I’nbsp; not talking about chickens,” she went on. “I’nbsp; talking about her??.??.??. her bold spirit. We can’t encourage it.”
“Mulan is young,” Zhou countered. “She’s still learning to control herself.”
Up in her roo Mulan bristled. She knew her father ant well, but he was talking about her as if she were an untad filly, not his daughter. She shifted on her seat, wishing she could stop the conversation while at the sa ti curious to see where it would go. She didn’t have to wait long.
“You ke excuses for her!” Li said, her voice laced with frustration. “You et Mulan is a daughter, not a son. A daughter brings honor through rriage.”
“Any n would be fortunate to rry our Mulan,” Zhou said.
Hearing the certainty in her father’s voice, Mulan bit her lip. She wanted to be the girl he believed her to be. Maybe chasing that chicken had been a little bit reckless. And ybe she should have listened to her father when he told her to stop. But did her silly actions now really stand to ruin her rriage options in the future?
As if hearing her daughter’s thoughts, Li continued, “Xiu gives no trouble. The Matchker will find a good husband for her.” Mulan didn’t have to be in the roonbsp; to igine the frown on her ther’s face or the way she nervously rubbed her tele. When she spoke again, her voice sounded sad, anguished. “It is Mulan I worry about. Always Mulan.” There was another pause, and then she continued, her voice alst iossible to hear: “I just don’t know where she fits in this world.”
The
Mulan tried not to sle. “Don’t ve,” she said. “If you hold very still, I will squash it??.??.??.” Her voice trailed off as, fronbsp; the roonbsp; below, she heard her ther’s voice rise.
“You indulge her,” Li said, her loud voice carrying fronbsp; the living roo Mulan and Xiu paused to listen. Closing her eyes, Mulan held her breath. She could picture her ther and father going through their nightly routine: her ther tidying up while her father slowly unlaced the binding on his leg. Only on this particular night, they were not going about it as quietly as they usually did.
“There’s no harnbsp; in herding chickens,” Zhou retorted.
Mulan heard the soft, even footsteps of her ther as the won ved closer to her husband. “You know I’nbsp; not talking about chickens,” she went on. “I’nbsp; talking about her??.??.??. her bold spirit. We can’t encourage it.”
“Mulan is young,” Zhou countered. “She’s still learning to control herself.”
Up in her roo Mulan bristled. She knew her father ant well, but he was talking about her as if she were an untad filly, not his daughter. She shifted on her seat, wishing she could stop the conversation while at the sa ti curious to see where it would go. She didn’t have to wait long.
“You ke excuses for her!” Li said, her voice laced with frustration. “You et Mulan is a daughter, not a son. A daughter brings honor through rriage.”
“Any n would be fortunate to rry our Mulan,” Zhou said.
Hearing the certainty in her father’s voice, Mulan bit her lip. She wanted to be the girl he believed her to be. Maybe chasing that chicken had been a little bit reckless. And ybe she should have listened to her father when he told her to stop. But did her silly actions now really stand to ruin her rriage options in the future?
As if hearing her daughter’s thoughts, Li continued, “Xiu gives no trouble. The Matchker will find a good husband for her.” Mulan didn’t have to be in the roonbsp; to igine the frown on her ther’s face or the way she nervously rubbed her tele. When she spoke again, her voice sounded sad, anguished. “It is Mulan I worry about. Always Mulan.” There was another pause, and then she continued, her voice alst iossible to hear: “I just don’t know where she fits in this world.”
The