The Mulan Household

With Mulan Badaling, Tuyuhun Chuo and many other soldiers travelled with their commander to her clan's household. There did they meet her paterfamilias, the famed war hero Battalion Captain Mulan Hu, her materfamilias Mulan Jia, her elder sister Mulan Munan and her younger brother Mulan Fang. Upon meeting Mulan Hu, Chuo bowed and said: "It is an honour to meet you, Captain Mulan."

The one and fifty twelvemonth old man merely smiled and placed a hand upon Chuo's shoulder. "And I am honoured to meet you, son. You are the ghost of your father as a young man."

When Mulan Badaling came forth, no longer dressed a soldier, but as a lady, many of the soldiers were surprised. Those who presumed she was a man, for who could have ever imagined a woman named after a mountain, all stared, wide-eyed and mouths hanging open. Those were fully aware she was a woman, could merely laugh at their unobservant comrades, who in turn could only laugh at themselves. All in all, there was an equal amount who were aware and an equal amount who were not.

With arms crossed, Chuo merely stood there with arms crossed and smiled while one soldier exclaimed: "We travelled together for twelve twelvemonths, but we never suspected that Mulan was a woman!"

Smiling, Mulan Badaling merely said: "Most people merely tell the gender of the rabbit by its movement: the male runs quickly, while the female often keeps her eyes shut. But when two rabbits run side by side, can you really discern whether I am a he or a she?"

Still smiling, Chuo raised a ceramic cup and exclaimed: "To Mulan Badaling!" This exclamation was repeated by all the rest and when all was done, Chuo went forth with Fu, Qing and Run and together, they made their way home.

After twelve twelvemonths, they were finally going home.