Chapter 4 (Revised) A feast for the eyes
The stone gate was wide open.
Zhu Bao'e saw Gao Cuilan standing alone outside the cave.
His handsome face was flushed and damp with sweat, his brows furrowed with worry, and he seemed distracted.
Upon seeing her, his mind focused for a moment. He took a quick step, then stopped, straightened his clothes, and stepped forward.
“Bao’e,” he grasped her arm and looked at her closely, “are you injured?”
Zhu Bao'e shook her head and said, "I'm fighting with that monkey, why do you have to go through all this trouble, brother?"
"It's just a few steps up the mountain, nothing difficult at all. I only regret that I don't have the supernatural power to keep you up here on the mountain all night."
"I'll just take this as a night of quiet meditation. It's just a pity about my stomach; I haven't eaten a single grain of rice since yesterday, and I'm really starving." This fool only thought about food, rubbing his clothes and turning over his sleeves. "Brother, have you prepared any dry rations with you?"
"Why did we come in such a hurry? We were afraid we would fall behind that little elder and forget about it for a moment."
"Hmph! What kind of little elder is he? He's just a troublemaking stable boy!" She was a little annoyed and saw that he was also somewhat angry, but when she glanced at his face, her anger immediately subsided.
Indeed, it's a feast for the eyes!
She straightened her slightly messy braids and leaned towards him, tilting her body to the side.
Gao Cuilan saw through her intention, and the fear that had arisen last night resurfaced, urging him to hold her arm.
“Bao’e, Bao’e,” he looked down at her, “Bao’e, take a look at me.”
Zhu Bao'e stared at him blankly: "I'm watching, I'm watching!"
"Don't let go."
"I'm holding your hand, I'm holding your hand."
"As close as ever."
The fool had no idea what he was thinking; he just thought it was strange.
One reason is that when she first read "Journey to the West," although she only skimmed through it, she knew that Pigsy forced Gao Cuilan to marry him, but she still couldn't understand how Miss Gao became Young Master Gao.
Furthermore, this young master Gao is usually disciplined and restrained, even kissing in secret; how could he be so unrestrained and wanton now?
But she was also aroused and tilted her head back to kiss him.
With his fear subsiding a little, Gao Cuilan embraced her, gently rubbing and sucking her lips until they were both breathless and sweating profusely.
He was only concerned with getting confirmation, ignoring everything else, his heart aching, but his hands wrapped around her waist and pressed against her back.
But Bao'e was even hungrier, and soon pushed him away, complaining that she was starving.
The young master Gao said there were some sweet wild fruits on the mountain that could temporarily satisfy their hunger. She was afraid of starving to death and also afraid of running into the Great Sage, so she claimed that she was too weak from hunger to go and refused to go, only urging him to go and pick them.
He nodded, then quickly turned and left.
Bao'e closed the stone door tightly, rubbed her flat belly, and thinking of saving her energy, went to the corner to lie down and sleep.
In a daze, she heard someone knocking on the door: "Bao'e, Bao'e!"
Zhu Bao'e recognized the voice of Young Master Gao and gave a mumbled reply.
She woke up groggily, dragging her rake toward the stone gate, and asked, "Brother, did you pick any fruit?"
"Of course, of course! Open the door and see if the fruit I picked is sweet or not."
His voice was clear and bright. Bao'e thought to herself that the trip along the mountain road was definitely worthwhile, as it had refreshed her.
She opened the stone door and saw the young master standing outside the cave, holding a handful of bright red fruit.
Bao'e's cravings were aroused, and she reached out to grab it.
The young master Gao stepped aside and looked at her with a smile: "Why don't you distinguish between the real and the fake now?"
“Good brother, I’m straightforward and don’t understand these tricks. Besides, you brought me a bag full of fruit; with such kindness, how could I not distinguish right from wrong!”
"He was sincere, and my hard work climbing mountains and trees was not in vain."
Bao'e stared at the wild fruit, unable to look away, only muttering, "Brother, you've been wronged."
"Enough talk, just try it first, it will satisfy your craving."
Zhu Bao'e thanked him, took the fruit, and swallowed it whole without even tasting it properly.
She looked up at the young master and saw that he was also eating wild fruit. She noticed that his bag was full of fruit, but the one on top was the most eye-catching.
Big and red, they look fresh and sweet.
She suddenly asked, "Brother, what are you eating?"
Young Master Gao said, "It was just swallowed, and you don't recognize it now?"
"I ate it too quickly and didn't taste whether it was sour or sweet, or whether it had a pit or not. I need another one to satisfy my craving."
"You're in such a hurry, you're practically swallowing fruit like water. Needless to say, you've been affected by that gluttonous appetite, and now that you're determined to kill it, how can I not help you?" The young master held out a handful of bright red fruit, letting her choose. "If it's as you say, which one can kill that gluttonous appetite?"
"Brother, you've gone through all this trouble. I'll eat the heaviest piece for you and leave the lighter ones for you to carry." Bao'e didn't stand on ceremony and took the biggest and reddest piece, opening her mouth to bite into it.
One bite, and the sourness made her grimace, her heart pound, and tears welled in her eyes.
The young master Gao smiled with concern: "But if you mistake that glutton for a sister, even if you kill it, you'll still have to cry."
"Pah! Where did you pick this rotten, vinegar-coated fruit from!"
Bao'e thought to herself that the young master Gao had enjoyed wealth and luxury since childhood, so how could he endure hardship? Yet now, as he climbed mountains and trees, his clothes were clean and his black hair was perfectly styled. He even picked some sour and bitter fruits for her to eat.
It's fine if he eats it, just assume he doesn't recognize the wild fruit, but why make fun of him?
Suspicious, highly suspicious!
She angrily threw down the fruit; half of it landed on the ground, now shriveled and green.
It really was just a deceptive spell!
She raised her rake and struck him: "You damned stable boy! I never offended you in Heaven. Is that old bastard your maternal grandfather, or are you after his money and instigated you to do this to me!"
The young master Gao took out his golden cudgel and used it to block the nine-toothed rake.
He wiped his face, revealing his true form, which was indeed that of the traveler.
It turned out that he went up the mountain to get her, but he was a step behind Gao Cuilan, so he hid in a secluded place to listen.
Hearing that the young master was going to pick fruit, he transformed into his appearance and tricked her into leaving the cave, where he conjured up some sour wild fruit to amuse her.
He sneered slightly, "Don't talk nonsense, you scoundrel. I'm trying to persuade you to leave, but you won't listen. Don't blame me for taking your life with this stick."
The two fought in mid-air, creating a fierce battle that stirred up a whirlwind and shook the earth.
Bao'e retorted, "How dare you talk nonsense! Gao Cuilan and I are quite compatible, why are you trying to interfere!"
The traveler swung his staff and said, “The ancients said not to dwell on past grievances. If you truly have deep feelings for someone, why don’t you find another place to stay? Instead, you’re staying here without any proper matchmakers or marriage certificate, only to be humiliated by that old man.”
Bao'e blocked the golden cudgel, swung it diagonally, and said, "You can't go, you can't go."
The traveler then asked, "Which leg can't you walk?"
Bao'e dodged and struck him with her rake: "You can't walk on either leg."
"I didn't hit your legs with those blows."
Bao'e refused to say anything more.
She had forgotten the past, but now she has at least remembered it.
Several years ago, Guanyin Bodhisattva passed through Fuling Mountain and pointed out the way for her, asking her to escort the pilgrims on their journey to the West, so that she could atone for her sins.
More than a thousand years had passed since she transmigrated into the book. It was too long. She only had a vague impression of "Journey to the West" and had long since adapted to this world of immortals, demons, and monsters. She didn't think about anything else and even thought that the Bodhisattva was kind-hearted.
Now that I think about it, the Bodhisattva wanted her to escort Tang Sanzang!
Even though she couldn't quite remember the original text, she knew that the journey to the West was long and arduous, with a total of eighty-one tribulations, and she was unwilling to endure such hardship.
It would be better to be a carefree monster in Gao Family Village, living a harmonious life with Young Master Gao.
So she gritted her teeth and remained silent, only swinging the rake with all her might.
But she was gradually losing ground and feared that she would be killed by the wanderer's staff and become a wronged ghost.
Having no other choice, she could only tell the truth: "It was the Bodhisattva's teaching, and I dare not forget it."
The pilgrim laughed and said, "What kind of Bodhisattva is this? Instead of teaching you 'to attain the Pure Land, one must purify one's mind,' you are teaching you to give rise to deluded thoughts."
"You impudent monkey, stop talking nonsense!" she thought angrily, and couldn't help but blurt it all out, "Back then, Guanyin Bodhisattva saw that I had repented and gave me a Dharma name, instructing me to wait here for a monk and escort him to retrieve the scriptures. If the Bodhisattva were here, let's see if you dare to lay a hand on me!"
Upon hearing this, the Great Sage asked, "Is it true? Don't try to escape by trickery."
Why would I lie to you!
"What is the name of the person who went on the pilgrimage?"
“It’s probably called Sanzang. If I had known earlier that I was waiting for him, I wouldn’t have waited so long. I would have gone straight to his door.” Bao’e started talking nonsense. “What private affair? It’s just a joke. If that pilgrim hadn’t been so late in coming, how could I have been put through this indignity here?”
The traveler laughed and said, "In that case, you don't need to suffer anymore."
Bao'e thought to herself that this monkey really didn't know suffering, and that she would have to endure countless grievances in the future.
She refused to go on the pilgrimage, and her reluctance turned into anger. She brandished her rake and said, "You monkey, don't talk big, take this!"
The Great Sage used his staff to flick upwards, deflecting her slamming rake, but stopped hitting her.
He only said, "Fate, fate!"
"What nonsense are you spouting? What good fortune could you possibly have?"
"That young master Gao just told you that I came to this place with my master. Do you know who my master is?"
Bao'e retorted angrily, "I don't care who you acknowledge as your master, I haven't received those bows."
"They were the ones who went to the Western Paradise to worship Buddha and seek Buddhist scriptures."
Wukong then recounted to her in detail how he had been ordered to escort her.
Good Bao'e regretted it again, unwilling to accept the task of escorting the monk. She just stared blankly and said, "What a coincidence, what a coincidence, to stumble upon a task and a place."
Bao'e, clutching the rake, muttered, "Brother, it might not be the same one. You should hurry and leave, lest you miss your mission. I'll have to wait here."
"Don't talk nonsense!" The Great Sage put away his staff, took away her rake, and plucked a hair to conjure three strands of hemp rope, which he used to tie her hands behind her back. He said, "Since it is the Bodhisattva's decree, go and take a look. If you sincerely worship him, it is not too late to untie these ropes."
Bao'e couldn't beat him, so she let him tie her up, thinking she could make excuses in front of the monk later.
Just as the two were about to descend the mountain, they suddenly saw someone approaching from not far away.
One step at a time, deep or shallow, that's where the tall railings stand.
Bao'e went over and called out "Brother," then said sadly, "Brother, I'm leaving now."
Gao Cuilan walked with difficulty, her body covered in a light sweat, which only made her delicate fragrance stronger.
Hearing this, he paused for a moment, and before even wiping his sweat, said, "Let's go? Why don't we eat some fruit first, and then move on when we have the strength?"
Bao'e was too lazy to walk down step by step: "No need, no need! It would take several hours to walk down, I can just turn into a gust of wind."
“Bao’e,” he said, ignoring the wild fruit that had fallen to the ground, and shielded her in front of him, “quickly hide in the cave, I have a way to stop him.”
The traveler laughed and said, "Young Master Gao, I am not an unruly and rude person, so there is no need to be wary of me."
Gao Cuilan revealed an unusual solemn expression: "Young Elder, it is not to blame you. It is just that my father is stubborn and has mistaken Bao'e for a demon that harms people. He disregards my wishes and insists on expelling her. I have made up my mind that even if I cannot get a share of the family fortune, I will leave with her."
Sun Wukong said, "You little rascal, you do have some true feelings. What a pity! She is not human, and you are not a demon. Even if you can become husband and wife, how many years do you have left to live?"
Gao Cuilan felt a pang of bitterness and stagnation in his heart, but the fool only knew how to enjoy himself and did not feel bitter. Instead, he comforted him: "Brother, don't worry. I had a misunderstanding with this monkey, but it has been resolved. I will tell you the details later."
In the blink of an eye, there was no sound around.
The spring mountains were deserted, and he stood alone beneath a withered tree.
A sheer cliff loomed before me, and the valley wind whispered through the air.
Behind me was a desolate old cave, the mountains and waters were cold.
Gao Cuilan stood still, suddenly feeling a pang of resentment and bitterness.
In a daze, it was as if someone said to him, "Don't worry, she's always been heartless. We'll just teach her a lesson for being cold-hearted."
The whispered words sounded like a hidden resentment.
Gao Cuilan suddenly woke up and turned around to ask, "Who is it?"
But all was silent, and there was no response for a long time.
A note from the author:
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