Chapter 6: Recruiting Sha Monk at the Flowing Sand River

HSK 6+ · 164 characters · Journey to the West

The pilgrims encounter the Flowing Sand River demon and recruit Sha Wujing after Guanyin’s instruction.

一条yī tiáo大河dà hé拦住lán zhù去路qù lù，A great river blocked their path.浪里làng lǐ钻出zuān chū红发hóng fà妖怪yāo guài。From the waves emerged a red-haired demon.脖挂bó guà骷髅链kū lóu liàn，举着jǔ zhe月牙铲yuè yá chǎn吼hǒu：“留下liú xià唐僧táng sēng！”He wore a skull necklace, brandished his crescent spade, and yelled, 'Leave Tang Sanzang here!'

孙悟空sūn wù kōng和hé猪八戒zhū bā jiè联手lián shǒu打不过dǎ bù guò。Sun Wukong and Zhu Bajie could not defeat him together.悟空wù kōng急得jí de找zhǎo观音guān yīn。Desperate, Wukong went to seek Guanyin.菩萨pú sà道dào：“他tā本是běn shì卷帘大将juǎn lián dà jiàng，打下dǎ xià凡间fán jiān受苦shòu kǔ。”The Bodhisattva said, 'He was once the Curtain-Lifting General, cast to the mortal realm to suffer.'

“你nǐ喊hǎn‘悟净’‘wù jìng’，他tā自zì归顺guī shùn。”'Call him ‘Wujing,’ and he will submit on his own.'

悟空wù kōng回huí河边hé biān喊hǎn：“沙悟净！“shā wù jìng!菩萨pú sà叫jiào你nǐ上路shàng lù！”Wukong called out by the river, 'Sha Wujing! The Bodhisattva summons you to the journey!'

妖怪yāo guài一愣yī lèng，The demon froze in surprise.跪下guì xia流泪liú lèi：“弟子“dì zi愿跟yuàn gēn师父shī fu取经qǔ jīng！”He knelt in tears, 'I pledge to follow Master on the pilgrimage!'

原来yuán lái他tā吃掉chī diào的de九个jiǔ gè取经人qǔ jīng rén骷髅kū lóu竟是jìng shì唐僧táng sēng前世qián shì的de！It turned out the nine pilgrims he had eaten were from Tang Sanzang's past life!玄奘xuán zàng将jiāng骷髅kū lóu串成chuàn chéng项链xiàng liàn，渡河时dù hé shí忽然hū rán变作biàn zuò法船fǎ chuán……Xuanzang strung the skulls into a necklace, which transformed into a magic boat when crossing the river...寓意yù yì：曾经céng jīng的de错误cuò wù，也yě能néng变成biàn chéng未来wèi lái的de助力zhù lì。Moral: Past mistakes can become future strengths.