Mulan - Shan Yu Returns

Chapter 8: Trial

While Mulan and Shang went out, Shan Yu took care of the chores, such as sweeping the yard, folding the laundries, and feeding Little Brother. Of course, Mushu watched over him while did that. After finishing the chores, he went inside to sit down and have a cup of tea. He was becoming a little anxious about the trial that the trio and Mulan declared. Every drops of tea uneasily went down his throat. He even felt some drops of tea being stuck in his stomach. He put the tea down and let out a deep sigh. "Now, Shanny, we already know that they've been forgin' the pots and paintings!" Mushu encouraged. "No need to be so anxious!"

"I know, but I just..." Shan Yu couldn't finish his sentence. He just didn't know what to say.

"Now, take it easy!" Mushu said as he slapped him in the back.

"Ouch!" Shan Yu yelped.

"It... hurts...?" Mushu asked, a but confused. He didn't slap him that hard.

"I guess the wounds from the day I accidentally destroyed the market is not gone yet," Shan Yu said.

"What? You were hurt? And on your back?" Mushu asked, a little freaked out.

"Yes, a bit..." Shan Yu said. "But it's no big deal."

"Let me see your back," Mushu said. Shan Yu gently took off his shirt to show his back, still wearing the arm part and the rest of it hanging around his waist. Mushu tsked repeatedly with concern. "It looks really bad..."

"Is it? Oh... I wish Wang Wei was here..." Shan Yu said.

"Now, who is that Wang Wei you were talking about?" Mushu asked.

"A kind old man who treated my burn wounds after I lost my memories and left the Imperial City," Shan Yu explained. "It was healed less than half of the day when he applied his special ointment. I even kept the bandage he used on me. His name is embroidered on the end of it. But without any treatment, I just need to wait so much longer for it to heal." He was in a deep thought as he remembered the day he met Wang Wei. Then he felt something snuggling against his thighs. It was Little Brother, whimpering to play with him. Shan Yu chuckled and petted him as he said, "Do you want to play, little guy?" Little Brother barked kindly. "All right," Shan Yu took Little Brother outside, grabbed any small stick he can find, and played fetch with Little Brother. He chuckled and petted Little Brother every time he brought back the stick. "Here, you go, little guy," Shan Yu said as he handed a bone to Little Brother and he bit into the bone repeatedly.

"I never imagined you acting like this, Shanny," Mushu said, who sat on his shoulder.

"Heh, I guess I'm not the same person you know anymore," Shan Yu said with a slight smile with a slanted eyebrows. He felt even better after playing with and petting Little Brother. "I guess this is why some people have dogs as their pets... so comforting..." Shan Yu said to himself under his breath.

"Wait a minute, that's it!" Mushu said.

"What's it?" Shan Yu asked.

"You can show your back wounds as your evidence!" Mushu suggested. "You can prove that you didn't destroy on purpose."

"Hopefully," Shan Yu said, a bit more relieved.

********

Mulan and Shang brought Yao, Ling, and Chien-Po to the destroyed shop, while Zong, Yu Fan, and Chang were still present. Mulan examined how the shop was destroyed. "They did not bother cleaning up, didn't they?" Yao asked.

"I guess they wanted to keep the evidences to prove that Shan Yu destroyed the shop," Ling said.

"This is not gonna help you guys," Zong said as he came back. "This is already a good enough evidence to prove that Shan Yu destroyed the place."