Fyi: I'm stopping the chapter numbers. I CBA to do it every time

Mulan sighed loudly as Ping trudged back to the house. "Shang, he's got a black eye again," She whispered. Her husband hummed. "I'll talk to him,"

*Set after the events in Mulan II. For the point of the story, Mulan & Shang are already married. They have children: 3 sons and a daughter (Ping, Jiang, Yin & Chun)
Ping fights someone after hearing them disrespect his best friend, Ming*

"Mama! Ping's back!" Jiang shouted. Mulan smiled as she dried her hands. "Go on then! You can go out," She smiled. Jia giggled as she rushed out of the house, her two younger brothers in tow. "It'll be nice to see him again," Shang said from his position behind Mulan. "Yeah... though I don't understand how he's so much farther behind you. Didn't you both leave at the same time?" She asked. "Yes, but you know he always stops by the market first," Shag pointed out with a sly smile. "I think he likes the girl who runs the flower stall," Mulan giggled. Looking back on it, she had caught Ping staring at Ming Wen multiple times.

She walked slowly with Shang in tow. "I do wish the baby would hurry up," He mumbled as he kissed her head. She laughed. "You wish?" She waddled to the front door and leaned against the frame. There'd be no way she'd get a word in edgewise while her younger kids swarmed their elder brother. Low and behold, the gate opened with a flourish, revealing her eldest child. "PING!" The children screeched. Mulan laughed. "Do you remember when the younglings of the village acted like that to us?" She recalled fondly. "To you, my dear," Shang chuckled. Mulan rolled her eyes.

She frowned slightly and elbowed her husband of seventeen years in the ribs. "He's got a black eye, Shang." She mumbled. Shang hummed. "Probably just a training incident. I'm sure he's fine," He pulled her in tighter. Mulan hummed, not believing him.

~

A loud knocking disturbed Mulan out of her rare sleep. She quickly rushed to make sure the baby was asleep before shrugging on her gown. "Who the diyu* is knocking so loudly?" She opened the door and stared at the person icily. "Do you perhaps think I have gone deaf in my thirty-two years of life, Bao Ling?" She snapped. Ling shifted. "Mulan, this is my wife, Bao Chu," Mulan softened her stare somewhat. "Can we make this quick? My daughter is finally asleep and I do not wish to wake her," Ling smiled. "Congrats," She smiled back. "Your son is causing problems!" Chu yelled. Mulan glared. "I reiterate my statement: my newborn daughter is sleeping!" She hissed. Chu glared back. Mulan shut the front door.

"Who are you to come shouting and banging on my door? Haven't you heard of resolving issues peacefully?" She snapped. "Your son is brawling in the market every day!" Chu yelled. Ling made a sound, but a glare from his wife silenced him. "I doubt that very much, Bao Chu. Any issues concerning my son can wait until he and my husband return home at teatime. Until then," She shut the door a bit harsher than she intended to.

Mei wailed loudly.

~

Mulan sighed loudly as Ping trudged back to the house. "Shang, he's got a black eye again," She whispered. Her husband hummed. "I'll talk to him," Mulan folded her arms, frowning deeply. "You know Bao Chu's gonna come steaming 'round soon, right? And she'll bring Ling with her," Shang sighed. "Yeah. I'll see if I can work out what's going on," She nodded but didn't move from her spot. Mei laughed when Jia tossed her in the air, while Yin and Chun (her twin sons) roughhoused on the grass.

Shang.

He knocked on Ping's door. "Who is it?" The soon-to-be-seventeen-year-old grumbled. "Me," He answered. "Fine," Shang pushed the door open and faced his son. "That's quite a shiner you've got there, Ping. Wanna tell me why?" He took a seat on the bed. "Not really," Ping grumbled, turning away. Shang sighed. "Ok... wanna tell me what happened instead?" Ping sighed loudly. "I caught someone trying to harass a woman. So I stepped in... the guy didn't like it," Shang nodded slowly. "So... he hit you?"

Ping flicked some of his hair out of his face. "Something like that," Shang sighed again. "You know son... your mother's getting worried. She thinks you're getting involved with the wrong people,"

Ping spun with a shocked face. "Mom thinks I'm in a gang?!" He exclaimed. Shang shrugged slightly. "Can you blame her? Think: you're staying out later, coming home with black eyes, causing problems with the neighbours, have a shorter fuse..." Ping slumped.

Shang's eyes were attracted to the door, where his wife loitered. "I know you're there mom," Shang smirked a little. Mulan glared. "Sorry. I was on the way to get Mei a new dress and I couldn't help but overhear," Shang patted the bed. "You coming in?" Mulan shook her head. "Nah, Mei's half covered in mud and Jia's panicking. Plus, dinner's in an hour," Shang shook his head with a smile. "Ok. We'll be out soon,"

Mulan laughed down the hallway when Jia shrieked that Mei had upchucked. Shang sighed softly. "If you want alone time, I'll go." He stood up. "What did you do with mom?" Ping suddenly blurted. Shang blinked. "What?" He asked. "What did you do... when you knew you liked mom?" Shang cleared his throat and sat back down. "Well... I messed it up, to be honest. It's only because your mom gave me a second chance that we're together," Ping sighed loudly, and Shang felt painfully reminded of his time trying to court Mulan.

Shang clasped a hand on his shoulder. "Listen. Tomorow, we'll leave Jia in charge while we go with your mom to the market. You can show us this girl that you're so worried about," He said. He smiled a little. "They're not gonna mess with General's of the Imperial Army, are they?"