MHNEB 15 (2/2)

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

吾家木兰

Chapter 15: Mulan’s home [Part 2 of 2]

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Edited by Granny

“I once heard, if you soak your feet in vinegar every day, you could effectively get rid of foot odour……”

“I already said it’s not me!” DuGu Nuo’s face, now in bright red, “It’s not me, it’s not me!”

He Mulan looked at Dugu Nuo in what seemed like a smile but seemingly not.

“Ah, it’s not you. Then you could just tentatively listen to it, maybe you’d use it in the future?”

In his heart, DuGu Nuo cursed that he did not know which filthy bastard had smeared him, but in a moment, he was surrounded by the horsemen who had readied their battle horses. 

“What did General Hua secretly tell you?”

“DuGu Nuo you’re so despicable, the moment you went to the market with General Hua, did you pretend to be good?”

“We already agreed that we would compete fairly!”

Compete fairly regarding?

Regarding whose leg smells nicer?

DuGu Nuo rolled his eyes.

As the 14 horsemen quickly packed up, Fang-shi and Yuan-shi held the freshly baked flatbread and cooked eggs to pass it to them as their food on the road.

He Mulan’s research was very successful. After she ground wheat powder and water into a kind of dough, though with the lack of time she couldn’t ferment the “emptins”, the surface of the pastry made with pure wheat flour was much better than rye flour. Although these 14 horsemen were born with a silver spoon, they would eat any coarse grains or dried food as they had accompanied the Emperor Tuoba Tao.

He Mulan saw the parting scene between them, and she felt a bit emotional.

Regardless of whether they came because of Tuoba Tao’s command, the fact that they willingly came here portrays their heartfelt intentions.

Though she did not feel that being alone was good as well, she is still thankful for Tuoba Tao’s intentions towards Hua Mulan.

She is not blind. During the three days’ time where they interacted, she naturally felt that these 14 horsemen, other than being handsome and charismatic, as well as their tall figures, each of them, have a noble and special character.

The emperor Tuoba Tao, had really intended Hua Mulan to receive the meaning of “blissful” from these 14 youths who had the heart of a child.

This type of blissfulness was different from what Cui Lin had meant, a type of fake “blissfulness”. If it was so, Tuoba Tao would only need to force the Hua family to accept the edict of forced marriage. He could force her to marry a talented and reputed youth. Why would he need to think of all sorts of means to portray as if they came here to “support” her and let them spend these few days with her?

  

These three days, she saw how they clumsily fed the pigs, caught the chickens and fixed the roof.

She saw a gentle and noble youth’s face sprayed with an old women’s saliva. She saw him quietly wipe away the saliva and continued to write a letter for her.

She saw Dugu Nuo pull a stone mill like a donkey-like he could not feel that she was teasing him.

Their characters were better than their familial background and futures. But she did not believe that Tuoba Tao who was so sharp-eyed and firm, would randomly select a few youths who had such good characters.

But just like these 14 men, Hua Mulan was also He Mulan’s idol. Because Hua Mulan is He Mulan’s idol, He Mulan did really sincerely used “Hua Mulan”’s point of view. She did not dare to “steal” Hua Mulan’s objects. (3) 

Every moment, she did not forget who these people idolized, loved and wanted to marry.

She constantly kept this in mind and did not let these moments of glory influence her thoughts.

Therefore, towards these 14 horsemen standing in front of her, she cupped her fist and loudly proclaimed what she had to say.

She did not say the proclamations herself. Rather, she borrowed the body and mouth of Hua Mulan to say it. She said what Hua Mulan carved into her soul, and what she did not dare to forget.

Since they came for Hua Mulan, she felt that they must listen to what she had to say.

“All of you were out in the cold these three days. You knew that the citizen's livelihood was not easy, and they had hard lives. My Hua family is already considered among Great Wei’s rich family clan. We only have to feed the horses in the army and plant crops to feed the military men. Nowadays, as our nation is troubled with wars. I know many of you were born in a good family, and may not understand these type of lifestyle……”

“In Great Wei, there are many families that were worse to do as compared to my family. But they continued to cut down on their expenses to feed our Great Wei’s army, only for my Great Wei to remain strong and invincible. Some of our men had fallen so that the villages and families do not experience the gunfire.”

   

“I do not know any of the so-called big philosophies. I only hope that when all of you step on the battlefield, you can think of these commoners in mind.”

He Mulan knew that among them, many would not have experienced a big battle. Take Dugu Nuo for example, he stepped onto the battlefield for the sake of his family’s clan glory and personal choice.

Towards them, the battlefield is just a platform for promotion, as the price of risking their lives. That was all that it meant.

They definitely had it easy as compared to ordinary soldiers like Hua Mulan who had to cut down one enemy after another to get to where they were. They would also definitely get promoted faster to a commander than her. Since they were so blessed, they naturally did not need to lower their heads to view the scenery below them.

But towards these thousands of commoners, the battlefield was not what they deem it as.

They were not Hua Mulan; they didn’t need to remove the armour and return back to farming during the most youthful years of their lives. So, their life philosophies and their way of thinking may influence their chosen path in the future and might also affect more people.

“This Respected person’s words, I shall bear your words in my heart!” (4)

DuGu Nuo suddenly replied.

“This Respected person’s words, I shall bear your words in my life!”

The 13 horsemen loudly called out.

Hua father held his walking stick, as he leaned against the side of a mulberry tree in the yard. He stared at his daughter who had a tall and slender figure. As he watched her say, “only hope that when all of you step on the battlefield, you can think of these commoners in mind”, he hurriedly hid behind the tree, as he wiped away his tears.

He vaguely understood why his daughter had initially promised him that she would think of some ways to return to the village, but only returned after he waited for her for 12 years.

Last time he used to think that it was because Mulan had shockingly good talent, and in the army, she did not hide her monstrous strength as they agreed. No one was willing to let such a warrior go, so she was forced to stay in the army till now.

But now, it seems that this child willingly stayed in the army.

If in the past he felt happy that his child had returned home from the fighting and battlefield, after the 14 horsemen’s visit, he slowly uncovered his daughter’s hidden feelings.

Hidden beneath her hope to live an ordinary life, he realized the side that belonged to his daughter’s unordinary side.

He thought that “Was it because he kept happing about requesting his daughter to return back home and give up the military life?” Mulan did not want to change, she only wanted to return by her family’s side as her original self. For the sake of their feelings, she silently accepted many matters.

But after all, she’s not the obedient daughter who would “Jiji fu Jiji” as she weaves the cloth by the window. (5)

He had once regretted that Mulan was not born a boy. Because if she was born a boy, the Hua family’s “glory” would not require her to give up everything that “she” fought for. (6)

But now, he knew that he was wrong. This kind of child, what’s the difference whether it is male or female? She was worthy of being his pride just because she’s a female.

For her to say “I do not know any of the so-called big philosophies. I only hope that when all of you step on the battlefield, you can think of these commoners in mind.”, shouldn’t he feel proud of her?

If he was under Mulan’s liege, he feared that he would wholeheartedly follow her into the battlefield.

Yuan-shi saw that her husband was leaning against the mulberry tree without moving, hence, she could hardly care what her daughter said to those young warriors. She hurriedly ran over to her husband’s side.

“Husband, what’s wrong? Did you feel uncomfortable anywhere?” she wiped her husband’s tears in a trance. She did not know what her husband was feeling sad about.

“My child’s mother ah, let’s not hurry Mulan into marrying someone.”

Hua father opened his red eyes, muttering: “We shouldn’t hurry her, shouldn’t hurry her.”

“Eh? Why? I was still feeling that it’s such a waste, this time there’s so many good men……” Yuan-shi felt remorseful as she glanced at the horsemen who stood by their door, “It’s just such a lost opportunity, such a pity that we are only an ordinary family, if Mulan sought to a higher tiered family it might not be a good thing. Although I am a woman, I also understand……”

“You don’t understand……” Hua father held his walking stick, as he allowed himself to stretch his back to be as straight as his daughter’s back.

“What high tiered family? It wouldn’t be considered that we seek a higher tiered family even If our family’s Mulan marry anyone.”  

He slowly muttered what Yuan-shi could not understand.

“She already became a goshawk. She had once spread her wings and flew. When she was flying, everyone knew that keeping her locked up was a sin, therefore she could continue flying. Now that she is tired of flying, we cannot treat her as a swallow kept in our house.”

“Hah?” Yuan-shi was stunned.

What does he mean by goshawk and swallow?

“Let Mulan continue with how she wants to lead her life.” He stared at her and placed heavy emphasis on these words.

“The life that she “wants” to lead.” (7)

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(3) These objects are referring to the men, I suppose.

(4) 蒙君: means prophet/teacher; direct translation. But it didn’t seem fitting here, so I used a respected person instead.

(5) Is something familiar here? Yes! The Ballad of Mulan is back. “Jiji fu Jiji, Mulan weaves through the door” – remember?

(6) I used glory instead of riches. This sentence is trying to imply the burden that she has to take instead of the money that she has to take. The Hua family is a burden to Mulan because she cannot continue what she wants to do.

(7)     “她‘想过’的日子。”: could mean that the life that she thought of living, or the life that she wants to lead. A word play.

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Fleur's corner:

Hi everyone. Thank you for your comments. I'm glad to hear that so many of you appreciate my work. My hand has not fully recovered, but its recovered 70-80%. I'll continue releasing chapters, but if anyone wants to continue this project, feel free to do so.

Chapter release are sporadic for now, and I'll tell all of you a more accurate schedule after Nov. I'm having my final examinations at the end of Nov, so I'll not be releasing chapters often. I hope everyone can understand.

Regarding this chapter: Translating this chapter gave me goosebumps. I hope I properly conveyed what the author wanted to convey regarding Mulan. 

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