Ao Tu sent Bajie to buy grain. Before long, Bajie returned with two hundred jin each of rice, millet, foxtail millet, wheat, and beans-a thousand jin in all.
They gave some grain to the old woman, who prepared a lavish vegetarian feast. After master and disciple had eaten, they left the remaining grain at her home. Ao Tu instructed her:
"Good lady, I am leaving this grain in your safekeeping. If your household runs short of food in the future, help yourself to it. Consider it my payment for storing it here. But you must never sell it to anyone. Do you understand?"
How could the old woman fail to see that Ao Tu was helping her? She knelt with her little grandson and said:
"Thank you for your compassion, holy monk. For as long as I live, I will never forget your great kindness."
Ao Tu smiled. "Rise. Oh, and if I visit your home again, you must welcome me warmly and not neglect me."
The old woman agreed again and again, promising him the warmest hospitality.
The next day, Ao Tu took Bajie to visit the other impoverished households in the village, giving each some silver, whether more or less.
Then he repeated to them what he had told the old woman.
For a time, everyone praised Ao Tu's charitable deeds.
When someone asked about the land, Ao Tu said:
"Today I shall first distribute alms. Tomorrow we will begin reclaiming the land."
Thus the third day arrived.
Early that morning, Ao Tu gazed into the distance from the sky. Seeing that Tang Sanzang and his disciple were not far away, he woke Bajie and said:
"Bajie, your senior brother will be here soon. Would you like to go welcome him?"
Bajie hurriedly shook himself awake and said:
"So I really do have a senior brother! Where is he?"
Ao Tu said, "No hurry, no hurry. Here, take this."
Ao Tu produced a Golden Flower.
Bajie asked in surprise, "What is this?"
Ao Tu said, "This is a Golden Flower that Venerable Ananda gave me long ago. Eating it will make your body light and strong, prolong your life, and increase your magical power. Today I am giving it to you. Refine and absorb it."
Bajie happily accepted the Golden Flower and said:
"Master, you're so good to me! What suddenly made you think of giving me this?"
Ao Tu said, "This is my compensation to you."
Bajie asked, "Compensation? Compensation for what?"
Ao Tu said, "Refine it first, and then we'll talk."
Bajie refined and absorbed the Golden Flower, then sighed, still wishing for more:
"Ever since I, Old Pig, was banished to the mortal world, it's been ages since I enjoyed anything this fine. Thank you, Master! Oh, Master, you still haven't told me what this compensation is for."
Ao Tu said, "Your senior brother has a fiery temper and is difficult to get along with. I fear he may bully you, so I am compensating you."
Bajie thumped his chest and said:
"Master, I'm not afraid! I'm not boasting, but I, Old Pig, have mighty abilities. I once commanded eighty thousand naval troops of the Heavenly River. I possess thirty-six transformations, as well as the Supreme Treasure Gold-Banded Rake, forged from divine iron. Whatever immortal he may be who descended to this world, he won't be able to bully me."
Ao Tu said, "Good, then. Go wait outside the village. He will arrive soon."
Bajie said, "Yes, Master. I'll go wait for him right away."
Bajie obeyed his master's command and headed outside the village, while Ao Tu resumed his true form and slipped away.
Meanwhile, Tang Sanzang and his disciple had traveled along desolate roads for several days. That day, they spotted a village in the distance at the foot of a mountain.
Tang Sanzang said, "Wukong, look, there's a village over there. Let's go beg for some vegetarian food."
Sun Wukong said, "Don't hurry, Master. Let Old Sun first see whether good fortune or danger awaits."
Sun Wukong flew up onto a cloud and looked closely at the village below the mountain:
Bamboo fences stood close together, and thatched cottages rose row upon row. Old trees greeted visitors at the gates, and bridges over streams faced the doors. Farmers tilled the fields, while faithful dogs guarded the corners of the houses. It was surely a fine village.
Just as he was about to return, he saw a demon walk out of the village and sit on the main road outside. With a black face, short bristles, a long snout, and huge ears, was he not an old pig that had become a demon?
Sun Wukong hurried back to Tang Sanzang and said:
"Master, don't go any farther yet. That village is a fine one, but a pig demon is blocking the road at its entrance."
Tang Sanzang jumped in fright. "Why would a pig demon be blocking the road to such a fine village? What are we to do?"
Sun Wukong said, "Don't be afraid, Master. Sit here while Old Sun gets rid of that pig demon so you can continue on your way."
Tang Sanzang caught hold of Sun Wukong. "Wukong, do you know whether that pig demon is a domestic pig or a wild boar?"
Sun Wukong said, "He's a pig demon. What does it matter whether he's a domestic pig or a wild boar?"
His face full of worry, Tang Sanzang said:
"If he's a domestic pig that became a demon, I imagine there's only one. You can simply go and beat him to death, Wukong. But if he's a wild boar that became a demon, I fear there may be others in these mountains. Once you leave, what if they spring out of hiding and harm me too?"
Sun Wukong said, "Set your mind at ease, Master. You have the Six Ding and Six Jia protecting you. That pig demon cannot hurt you. Off I go!"
With that, Sun Wukong rode a Somersault Cloud to the entrance of Gao Village and shouted fiercely:
"Hey, you pig demon! Where did you come from, and why are you blocking the village entrance and barring Old Sun's way?"
Bajie was sitting on the main road at the village entrance, waiting for his senior brother. The sudden shout startled him.
He looked up and saw a demon baring his teeth, with Fiery Golden Eyes, a pointed muzzle, and a monkey's face. He wore a Cotton Robe with a Tiger-Skin Skirt tied around his waist. Since he looked nothing like the figure in Golden Armor and a Purple-Gold Crown from five hundred years ago, Bajie failed to recognize him at first and said:
"You damned monkey demon, what mountain did you crawl out of? How dare you frighten your Grandpa Pig? Get going, get going! Don't cross me, or I'll give you a blow with my rake and put nine extra holes in that scrawny body of yours."
Hearing this, Sun Wukong flew into a rage and said:
"You wretched demon! How dare you boast like that? Take a blow from Old Sun's cudgel!"
With that, he drew the Golden Cudgel from his ear, swung it, and brought it down at Bajie's head.
Bajie hastily raised his rake to meet it. The blow left his hands aching and his sinews numb, shocking him deeply.
He studied Sun Wukong more carefully. His appearance seemed somewhat familiar. Looking closer, he spotted the Golden Cudgel and recognized him, crying out in surprise:
"Aren't you Bimawen, who stirred up all that trouble in Heaven? How did you get free and come here to bully me?"
Sun Wukong raised his cudgel and struck, saying:
"What sort of demon are you, then? How do you know Old Sun's title?"
Bajie explained how he had descended to the mortal world as Marshal Tianpeng, then raised his rake to meet the blow. "You Bimawen who deceived your superiors! When you caused that disaster back then, who knows how many of us you dragged down with you? And now you've come here to bully people again! Mind your manners! Take a blow from my rake!"
Sun Wukong laughed. "So you're the Heavenly River Water God descended to this world! How dare you block my way here? Watch my cudgel!"
The two plunged into battle, the Golden Cudgel against the Nine-Toothed Rake.
Beaten for no reason, Bajie truly lost his temper. He whirled his rake, whipping up savage winds that darkened heaven and earth. Thrusting forward, it was like a flying dragon's claws; smashing down, it made ghosts and gods tremble.
Utterly unafraid, Sun Wukong met him blow for blow with his cudgel. After more than a hundred exchanges, Bajie's arms grew weak and sore. Unable to defeat his opponent, he fled the fight, turned into a gust of wind, and rushed back into Gao Village.
Sun Wukong chased after him. Since they were inside the village, fighting would be inconvenient, so he merely pursued Bajie and toyed with him.
Unable to best him, Bajie cursed in fury. "You damned Bimawen! I never provoked you, yet you came to beat me and won't let up. What kind of sense does that make?"
Sun Wukong said, "You're blocking the entrance to someone else's village and barring Old Sun's way. What kind of sense does that make?"
Bajie said, "My master ordered me to wait at the village entrance for my senior brother. What's that to you? How am I barring your way?"
Sun Wukong asked, "Who is your senior brother?"
Bajie did not know either, and for a moment he was at a loss for words.
Sun Wukong seized Bajie by the ear. "Well, well! You dare lie to me?"
Bajie said, "How am I lying? My master didn't tell me who my senior brother was. He only said he was an immortal from Heaven who had descended to this world, that his rank was higher than mine, and that he managed farming and livestock in the Heavenly Palace. He'll be here any moment."
Suddenly, Bajie realized.
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