第 23 回

In late autumn, the master and disciples were hurrying on their journey in the maple forest.

Zhu Bajie felt the luggage was too heavy and wanted the white horse to help carry some.

Sun Wukong smiled and said, "This white horse is transformed from the third prince of the West Sea Dragon King, and he voluntarily turned into a horse to carry the master to the Western Heaven; how can we make him carry luggage?"

Zhu Bajie did not believe it and said, "A real dragon should be able to travel a thousand li in a day."

Sun Wukong then raised the golden-hooped staff and pretended to hit the horse.

The white horse was startled, let out a loud cry, and quickly ran away carrying Tang Seng.

Tang Seng was very scared and had to hold onto the reins tightly, close his eyes, and let the horse run on its own.

The white horse ran for a long time and stopped in front of a large house.

Sun Wukong, Zhu Bajie, and Sha Seng also quickly arrived.

Tang Seng scolded Sun Wukong a few words and then said it was getting dark, so they needed to borrow a place to stay in the house for one night.

Sun Wukong saw auspicious clouds above the house, knowing it was a place where immortals lived, but he did not say it out loud.

Tang Seng stepped forward and knocked on the door, a middle-aged woman opened the door, invited the master and his three disciples inside, and then called her three daughters out to pour tea for the guests.

Zhu Bajie saw that the three girls were all very beautiful, and he drooled while looking at them.

The woman said with a smile, "The four of us, mother and daughters, live together, although the family is very wealthy, we ultimately have no support."

She saw that the four elders were all good people, so she suggested recruiting them as sons-in-law, staying to live a good life together.

Tang Seng was determined to fetch the scriptures, so of course he disagreed.

Sun Wukong and Sha Seng also immediately refused.

Zhu Bajie was willing in his heart, but he was too embarrassed to agree in person.

The woman saw them decline, got a bit angry, turned around, and went back to her room.

Zhu Bajie then complained that everyone was too indecisive, saying it would be better to pretend to agree first, have a good meal, and leave tomorrow morning.

Sun Wukong saw through Zhu Bajie's thoughts and found it amusing in his heart.

After sitting for a while, Zhu Bajie said he was going to graze the horses and secretly slipped out.

Sun Wukong turned into a dragonfly and quietly followed behind him.

Zhu Bajie walked straight to the backyard, found that woman, respectfully bowed, and said: "Mother, if you don't mind, please take me as your son-in-law."

That woman repeatedly praised him for being sensible.

Sun Wukong heard this and quickly flew back to tell his master.

After Zhu Bajie returned, everyone did not expose him.

After a while, that woman came in and asked them who had decided to stay.

Sha Seng said: "It's been decided, the one surnamed Zhu will stay."

Zhu Bajie pretended to shake his head and said: "Brother, don't harm me, let's discuss it again."

Sun Wukong said with a smile: "You already call her 'mother', so what is there to discuss?"

After saying that, he pushed him over and said to the woman: "Mother-in-law, quickly prepare the wedding wine."

The woman was very happy, had people prepare wine and dishes to entertain Tang Seng, Sun Wukong, and Sha Seng, and then took Zhu Bajie to the inner courtyard.

Zhu Bajie asked the woman: "Mother, I don't know which sister you are going to marry to me."

The woman pretended to be very troubled, saying she was afraid her three daughters would quarrel over competing for him.

Zhu Bajie then said: "Since that's the case, why not all marry me, so there won't be any quarrels."

The woman did not agree.

She took out a handkerchief and covered Zhu Bajie's head, then called her three daughters out, letting Zhu Bajie catch them in the dark room, and whoever he caught, he would marry.

Zhu Bajie turned around in the room, grabbing everywhere randomly, and ended up bumping his face with bruises all over, not catching a single person.

Zhu Bajie, exhausted, sat on the ground, pulled off the handkerchief, and said: "Mother, the sisters are unwilling, so why don't you just take me in?"

The woman scolded him for being impolite, and then said to let him try on the clothes made by her daughters, and whoever's clothes he could wear, he would marry her.

Zhu Bajie was very happy and said: "Good."

If I can wear them all, I will marry all three.

After saying that, he took a piece of clothing and tried hard to put it on.

Unexpectedly, as soon as the clothes were put on, they turned into several ropes, tightly binding him and causing him to fall to the ground.

Tang Seng woke up from sleep and found himself lying in a pine forest, so he hurriedly woke up Sun Wukong and Sha Seng.

The three disciples got up and packed their luggage, and saw a note hanging on a tree.

The note was left by Li Shan Lao Mu and the three Bodhisattvas Guanyin, Wenshu, and Puxian, meaning that the woman and beauties from last night were transformed by these Bodhisattvas, specifically to test their sincerity in seeking the scriptures.

As the three disciples were looking at the note, the sound of Zhu Bajie shouting for help came from afar.