Hey there! Thanks for sticking with the story! Here, as promised, is Shang's version of growing up in the shadow of idealism. While women today are held to impossible standards by the media, so are men. Remember, we're all beautiful in our own way, and many of the images you see are the work of someone with a camera and Photoshop. Stay amazing.

(Be a man)
You must be swift as a coursing river...

"Come on, Shang! Keep up!" shouted his older brother, Yiang.

"Wait for me!" Shang yelled after his brother and his friends, who were running ahead of him and putting more and more distance between them with every stride. Shang couldn't help that his legs were so much shorter than Yiang's, but Yiang didn't have to rub it in his face all the time!

Unable to keep up, Shang slowed to a walk, kicking a stone along that got caught up in his feet. He would never be as fast as Yiang – no one was. Yiang was the fastest runner at school. But it still would have been nice if his older brother would slow down and include him. At least until he was older, and had grown a little taller.

(Be a man)
With all the force of a great tycoon...

Shang's father would often help Yiang with his fighting out in the courtyard, wrestling and tussling with him. Shang had tried to join in, but his father had refused, claiming Shang was not yet old enough for such rough play. Disheartened, Shang had sat alone under the cherry blossom tree by the small pond in the yard. It was there his mother found him. Hating to see how dejected her youngest looked, she had gone to sit beside him. On that first day, they sat quietly, peacefully, enjoying the mesmerizing movements of the koi in the pond. As time went on, however, and Shang's efforts to join the roughhousing were rebuffed, increasingly they would read together, or talk while his mother did her sewing. Shang still longed to join in the fighting practice with his brother and father, but he came to greatly enjoy this peaceful time with his mother; it made them quite close.

(Be a man)
With all the strength of a raging fire...

Once again his opponent was able to break out of Shang's hold. Now Shang was getting frustrated. His teacher had told his father that Shang was ready for the next level of karate, but so far, every boy Shang had faced had easily defeated him. They were all bigger and stronger than he was. It wasn't fair! Shang wanted nothing more than for his father to be proud of him, but these boys were much stronger than he, and he had yet to win a fight. Determined, though, Shang maintained his defensive pose, breathing hard, and wearily waited for his opponent's next round of attacks. Maybe this time his strength could at least hold until the teacher called the end of the match…

Mysterious as the dark side of the moon...

When Shang's father realized how much time his younger son was spending with his mother, he pulled Shang aside and censured him. Men, he told Shang, were not to converse with women outside of formal settings, such as meals and holidays. Women, being the weaker sex, should not be privy to a man's thoughts. A man should not be honest or transparent, but rather should always be on his guard. If a man told a woman his true thoughts, he counseled his son, she could use that knowledge as a weapon against him. Women could not be trusted, but had to be conversed with for politeness's sake. Therefore, his father warned him, he must never let his true thoughts be known. It was alright for Shang to confide in another man – men understood other men and were wiser about the ways of the world. But never a woman. It was the last time Shang sat with his mother by the koi pond.

(Be a man)...

Shang gazed around the camp of soldiers. They had come to him barely able to tie the lacings on their armor, and now… now they were the heroes of China. They had stopped the Hun invasion not once but twice, saving the Emperor's own life at the Royal Palace. Well, Mulan had done a lot of it, but he had trained her, and they had worked together for their victory. Shang adjusted the helmet under his arm. It was new – a General's helmet. He was no longer Captain Li Shang. He remembered how proud he'd been to accept that title, and the post of training the new recruits. His father had looked at him with such pride. His father was not here today to see Shang become General Li Shang, but Shang new his father was looking down on him with pride. He was the man his father had always wanted him to be.

Thank you so much for reading! Please "like" if you liked the story, and if you can, spare a minute or two to leave me reviews/comments. Thank you!

~CopperPrincess