MHNEB 8 (1/2)

Book 1: Now we don’t hear the loom shuttle; we only hear our daughter sighing

求亲木兰

Chapter 8: Mulan was Sought for a Marriage[Part 1 of 2]

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Edited by Granny

It’s such a waste!

The fact that Hua Mulan will not become an official is such a waste!

Why did Mulan choose to return home! 

Ignorant! Superstitious! Acting without logic!

The Hua family should not have relocated to the southern Yingguo county, but they should remain at Huaishuo! 

Listen, listen, what rubbish was the rumours outside saying!

She does not have enough self-restraint, she felt like beating people up! 

Because the neighbouring Liu county’s case had an interesting backstory that was worth spreading and involved the Liu’s tribe strongmen, Liu Meng, and the only person who was educated in the village, the case became a hot topic for discussion in many villages that were far away. It became no different from the “village’s headline news”.

Liu YuAn was depicted as a character with a strong temperament. When he had no one to help him, so he carried a knife to Liu Meng’s door to butcher Liu Meng. But in the end, he was a kind and honest person who decided to suicide at Liu Meng’s house. While Liu Meng had once carried his bat over to Liu house to beat up the pair of siblings, as there were many versions of the story, he was spurned as an unscrupulous villain who would do all evil in a typical drama. 

In this era, his family had no reputation plus they lost the only male breadwinner. This means that they will not be able to have a proper foothold (in the area), they lost everything.  

He Mulan had an indifferent attitude towards these rumours. Anyway, Liu Meng committed crimes and got what he deserved. When he was brave enough to do it, he should have thought of what would have happened if the incident comes to light. 

But they should not have talked about Hua Mulan at the end. 

Towards this person ‘Hua Mulan’, the commoners here were respectful, yet they were curious as well. But there were many that were disapproving of her. 

As they were in the southern part of Great Wei, the villagers have not seen much army troops. And as they were not located near the Rouran border, towards these villagers in the hinterlands, the story of Hua Mulan “taking over the mantle of her father in the army” to them was foreign and yet had a very good narrative. That was why everyone loved to gossip behind Hua Mulan who had “removed her armour and returned back to grow crops”. 

They discussed with much fervour about her body figure, her looks, her valour, her rich personal assets that she had and so on. 

This time both the news of Liu YuAn who sought for marriage with Hua Mulan died and the news of Hua family rejecting the marriage spread out. Recently, the latest hottest “news” was combined with the popular story last time. It spread like an epidemic and once more, pushed Hua Mulan into the epicentre of the wind and waves. 

The fact that these so-called people’s mouths are like the mouth of a tiger is true.

After the rumours spread, Hua Mulan became someone whose fate would bring calamity to her husband, as Liu YuAn passed away in the matchmaking phase (1). But they forgot that it was not only him who proposed to her. Others who had proposed to Hua Mulan were living perfectly fine lives. 

Hua Mulan’s paternal cousin who personally went down to reject the matchmaking also became a testament to her having a heartless and snobbish personality. 

Everyone loved to gossip about Liu YuAn and Hua Mulan’s tale of love and hate. But they never considered the tale’s realism.  They were also unwilling to forgo the emotions of anger and righteous indignance and think a bit more on the situation.  　

Previously, Hua Mulan was Liang county’s focal point. Now, she became even more embarrassing in Liang county. 

At this era, the status of women was much higher than in the late Song Dynasty. But the matters of the court and military had always been the men’s territory. Although Hua Mulan is deserving of respect by others, she represented a non-mainstream “deviant”. 

It was fortunate that Hua Mulan was a mixed-blood between Xianbei-ren and Han-ren. The females of Xianbei normally showed their faces in public. There were Xianbei females who replaced the military matters that were once in the hands of their dead husbands. That was why the Han folks here would talk about Mulan’s experience in the military. However, they would never talk about this part of history. 

Xianbei-ren and Han-ren had different jurisdiction. If the villagers said that Hua Mulan does not have a good figure, there would be no problem obviously. But if they said that she wasn’t right by enlisting in the army to protect her nation or by replacing her father in the army, if it was heard by any officials, the issue will be escalated to such an extent whereby Han-ren had opinions with Xianbei-ren’s jurisdiction in the military or to diss the generations of governmental military system. This will bring about disasters upon to oneself.  

That was why they all clearly agreed to Hua Mulan’s heroism and her actions to protect the nation. But they did not discuss this. Instead, they discussed the rest of the other subjects of gossip, especially the fact that she was “tiger back, bear-waisted, ugly looks, dark-skinned, hung out with males for 12 years that’s why she could not get married and she probably was too old to give birth to children”. 

These men felt that through these “small talk”, they can highlight the points that even if women could do certain things, they would still end up with a desolate ending if they did it. They also discussed how men should do what they are good at doing, and women should carry on doing what they have been doing. 

As they discussed it this way, they gave legitimate excuses on why they didn’t go up onto the frontlines to resist the Rourans, and if they went there would have been a perfect ending. 

“You see, if a woman can be a general, I would become a marshal if I was there too ……”

Darn!

Alone, Hua Mulan can carry ten of such “marshals” alright!

All these people who only have a battle strength of negative five! These bastards who would be chased by a fierce dog would be running around the village while unable to use a rake! 

“Sis don’t get angry. You can’t control the mouths of those squabbling free-loader men and vixens. If you’re angry at them, you’ll be letting yourself down.” Hua Mutuo was at a loss on what to do, so he used what he said to express his worry as he stared at He Mulan.

Earlier, he and his sister went to the nearby market to buy livestock feed for the horses. His sister had always like to stroll around in the market and purchase a few weird trinkets. When they were done with shopping, they heard people gossiping at the streets. Hearing this, his sister fumed. 

When He Mulan heard what they had said, she came to know of when Hua Mulan returned home, they definitely treated her as a conversational topic to talk about once. 

She does not know how Hua Mulan had felt, as she had no memories in her brain of it. Perhaps Hua Mulan really did not care about it and did not put this matter to heart, or maybe she purposely forgot about it to not let it affect her mood……

Regardless of the reason, Hua Mulan was definitely a strong person. 

He Mulan was grateful to Hua Mulan in the bottom of her heart. Comparing the lifestyle of the current era, the current situation when she transmigrated over was not entirely perfect. She had no job, she had no goals, she had no close friends and family. If not for the emperor being generous here, after quitting her official position, she has been awarded many things, one feared that she would not even have much valuables and property.

But He Mulan has still harboured a heart full of thanks towards the original owner. Because even if she had to live this way, it was hard-won. If she did not transmigrate into “Hua Mulan”, she may be living without any inheritance, not able to be educated, nor able to move around as she wants, and may have to accept her husband’s concubines or being someone’s concubine. Then, she must be able to accept the rest of the days of her life being pregnant and constantly giving birth to children. 

Now, she was able to wear men’s attire to traverse around villages, and she was able to uprightly stand at whichever places she wants to, even in the magistrate’s court. 

Her knees would not have to bend for just anyone, and her strength is enough to ensure that she will not be in harm’s way.

This is the precious inheritance that Hua Mulan left for her.

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(1) Matchmaking phase: in ancient china, there are many steps to legitimately be married to someone. Of course, sometimes, many do skips steps, but for nobility and richer families, they tend to adhere to the steps of first the male side proposing a marriage, both sides discussing the sanctioning and agreeing to the marriage, preparation phase…etc. 

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Fleur's corner:

PLEASE DO NOT REPOST THIS.

Next part of chapter 8 will be up on Sunday.

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