ued to read off the list of the falies who lived in the tulou, Mulan realized her father had disappeared into the crowd. She rose on her tiptoes, trying to see where he had gone, but the village had devolved into chaos. Men were pushing their way through the crowd to get the paperwork that would conscript thenbsp; into the ar. Behind the won old and young started to weep, so out of joy that one n fronbsp; their faly would be a hero, and others because they knew the consequences of war—both physically and ntally.
“Du faly! Hua faly!”
Mulan’s breath caught in her throat when she heard her faly’s na called. She looked for her father, spotting hinbsp; king his way through the crowd. He walked with his head held high and without the use of his cane. Mulan knew what he was about to do.
Approaching the gistrate and two of the soldiers who had reined on horseback, Zhou bowed. “I anbsp; Hua Zhou,” he said as he rose back up. “I served the Ierial Ar in the last battle against the northern invaders.”
The gistrate looked down at Zhou. “Have you no son old enough to fight?” he asked.
“I anbsp; blessed with two daughters,” Mulan’s father answered. “I will fight.”
The gistrate considered the n before hi Mulan saw hinbsp; eyeing her father’s graying hair and the lines at his eyes. She knew that to hi her father appeared a proud, but old, n. Finally, the gistrate nodded to the soldier nearest hi The young n reached into his bag and pulled out a set of papers that would rk Zhou for service. He held it out.
In what felt like slow tion, Mulan watched as her father reached out his own hand. His fingers brushed the parchnt and were about to close around the paper when his leg gave out. He gave a ffled shout as he fell to the ground. Lying at the feet of the gistrate’s horse, Zhou’s eyes closed in horror. His waistcoat had fallen open, revealing the binding on his leg that now, due to the fall, was unraveling.
Looking at her father, Mulan’s heart broke. The n was utterly huliated. Even the soldiers seed earrassed for hi stepping back and then averting their eyes. Spotting her father’s cane lying on the ground where he st have left it, Mulan ved to take it. But her ther put a hand on her shoulder, stopping her.
“You st not,” she whispered. “That will only huliate hinbsp; further.”
As the gistrate resud reading the nas of the tulou falies, a younger soldier disunted and offered his hand to Zhou. Zhou refused. Grasping his scroll tightly in his hand, he painfull
“Du faly! Hua faly!”
Mulan’s breath caught in her throat when she heard her faly’s na called. She looked for her father, spotting hinbsp; king his way through the crowd. He walked with his head held high and without the use of his cane. Mulan knew what he was about to do.
Approaching the gistrate and two of the soldiers who had reined on horseback, Zhou bowed. “I anbsp; Hua Zhou,” he said as he rose back up. “I served the Ierial Ar in the last battle against the northern invaders.”
The gistrate looked down at Zhou. “Have you no son old enough to fight?” he asked.
“I anbsp; blessed with two daughters,” Mulan’s father answered. “I will fight.”
The gistrate considered the n before hi Mulan saw hinbsp; eyeing her father’s graying hair and the lines at his eyes. She knew that to hi her father appeared a proud, but old, n. Finally, the gistrate nodded to the soldier nearest hi The young n reached into his bag and pulled out a set of papers that would rk Zhou for service. He held it out.
In what felt like slow tion, Mulan watched as her father reached out his own hand. His fingers brushed the parchnt and were about to close around the paper when his leg gave out. He gave a ffled shout as he fell to the ground. Lying at the feet of the gistrate’s horse, Zhou’s eyes closed in horror. His waistcoat had fallen open, revealing the binding on his leg that now, due to the fall, was unraveling.
Looking at her father, Mulan’s heart broke. The n was utterly huliated. Even the soldiers seed earrassed for hi stepping back and then averting their eyes. Spotting her father’s cane lying on the ground where he st have left it, Mulan ved to take it. But her ther put a hand on her shoulder, stopping her.
“You st not,” she whispered. “That will only huliate hinbsp; further.”
As the gistrate resud reading the nas of the tulou falies, a younger soldier disunted and offered his hand to Zhou. Zhou refused. Grasping his scroll tightly in his hand, he painfull