race off. But she knew she could not. She had de her prose and she would not let her faly down—again.
“Look.”
Her ther’s voice startled Mulan and she brought her gaze back into the roo She gasped as she saw her reflection in the rror her ther held out. The face that stared back was that of a stranger. Her body, wrapped in a lilac-colored dress, looked strange: curves were visible that were usually hidden under loose clothing. Gingerly, Mulan lifted her head and touched the lotus flower b her ther had placed in her hair. The b was one of her ther’s st cherished possessions. Without saying anything, Li was rending Mulan just how iortant today was.
Taking a deep breath, Mulan headed out of the house and into the courtyard. Her father stood waiting, also in his own forl attire. Seeing his eldest daughter, he sled, but not before Mulan caught a flash of sadness in his eyes. At least she wasn’t the only one who felt she was hiding her real self under a pile of keup.
As soon as Li and Xiu joined the both also dressed up though neither looked quite as exquisite as Mulan, the faly began to walk through the village. Passing by people she had known her entire life, Mulan felt their eyes on her and heard the surprised whispers as they walked by. Although Mulan felt unrecognizable, the villagers seed to recognize her noheless.
Sensing his daughter’s disfort, Zhou sled wary. He stopped and looked at his faly. “I anbsp; truly blessed to be in the presence of such enchanting won,” he said. “I have no doubt that today will be a ntous day for the Hua fa”
“Never nd that,” his wife said, cutting hinbsp; off. “We st be on ti.” To ehasize her words, she resud walking, her pace quicker.
Behind her, Mulan struggled to keep up. Her dress was ant to look pretty; it was not ant to be jogged in. And her feet were bound in tight and unfortable shoes. She nearly toppled over and would have had her sister not reached out and steadied her. Then, as if on cue, Mulan’s stoch growled loudly.
“I’nbsp; starving,” she said, stating the obvious.
Li rolled her eyes iatiently. “I have already told you—you cannot eat. It will ruin your keup.” “The fiercest winter stornbsp; could not destroy this keup,” Mulan retorted under her breath. Turning to her sister, Mulan saw that her ther’s anxiety had rubbed off on Xiu. The younger girl was wringing her hands nervously. “Xiu,” Mulan said, trying to lighten the od. She pointed to her face. “What anbsp; I feeling?”
Xiu looked at her, her
“Look.”
Her ther’s voice startled Mulan and she brought her gaze back into the roo She gasped as she saw her reflection in the rror her ther held out. The face that stared back was that of a stranger. Her body, wrapped in a lilac-colored dress, looked strange: curves were visible that were usually hidden under loose clothing. Gingerly, Mulan lifted her head and touched the lotus flower b her ther had placed in her hair. The b was one of her ther’s st cherished possessions. Without saying anything, Li was rending Mulan just how iortant today was.
Taking a deep breath, Mulan headed out of the house and into the courtyard. Her father stood waiting, also in his own forl attire. Seeing his eldest daughter, he sled, but not before Mulan caught a flash of sadness in his eyes. At least she wasn’t the only one who felt she was hiding her real self under a pile of keup.
As soon as Li and Xiu joined the both also dressed up though neither looked quite as exquisite as Mulan, the faly began to walk through the village. Passing by people she had known her entire life, Mulan felt their eyes on her and heard the surprised whispers as they walked by. Although Mulan felt unrecognizable, the villagers seed to recognize her noheless.
Sensing his daughter’s disfort, Zhou sled wary. He stopped and looked at his faly. “I anbsp; truly blessed to be in the presence of such enchanting won,” he said. “I have no doubt that today will be a ntous day for the Hua fa”
“Never nd that,” his wife said, cutting hinbsp; off. “We st be on ti.” To ehasize her words, she resud walking, her pace quicker.
Behind her, Mulan struggled to keep up. Her dress was ant to look pretty; it was not ant to be jogged in. And her feet were bound in tight and unfortable shoes. She nearly toppled over and would have had her sister not reached out and steadied her. Then, as if on cue, Mulan’s stoch growled loudly.
“I’nbsp; starving,” she said, stating the obvious.
Li rolled her eyes iatiently. “I have already told you—you cannot eat. It will ruin your keup.” “The fiercest winter stornbsp; could not destroy this keup,” Mulan retorted under her breath. Turning to her sister, Mulan saw that her ther’s anxiety had rubbed off on Xiu. The younger girl was wringing her hands nervously. “Xiu,” Mulan said, trying to lighten the od. She pointed to her face. “What anbsp; I feeling?”
Xiu looked at her, her