The elder could only gather up the baggage, load it on the horse — riding not at all — and, staff in one hand and bridle-rope in the other, press on westward in wretched loneliness.

Look at what he is doing: not riding, but walking beside the horse with the luggage piled on it, staff in one hand and rope in the other. The picture is doing the work of a paragraph of self-pity. 那長老 reads 那 as nà and 長 as zhǎng; 只得 takes 得 as dé; 拄著 and 揪著 both use the ongoing-action 著 (zhe).

He had not gone far when he saw, on the mountain road ahead, an aged woman bearing a padded garment, and upon the garment a flowered cap.

An old woman on an empty mountain road, carrying a padded coat with a cap sitting on top of it. She is carrying exactly what the situation requires, which is the first sign to the reader that this is not a chance meeting at all. 行不多時 reads 行 as xíng.

Seeing her come very near, Sanzang hastily led his horse aside and stood at the right to let her pass.

Even wretched, he remembers his manners and stands aside to let her pass. 三藏 reads 藏 as zàng; 來得 takes 得 as de; 讓行 reads 行 as xíng.

The old woman asked, "Where do you come from, reverend, walking here so utterly alone?"

Her first question goes straight to the sore spot: why are you walking here entirely alone? 那裡來的 reads 那 as the asking-word nǎ, 'where', while 那老母 reads the same character as nà, 'that'.

Sanzang said, "Your disciple is one sent from the Eastern Land of Great Tang to the Western Heaven, to worship the living Buddha and seek the true scriptures."

The standard account of himself again. 奉差, 'sent by command', reads 差 as chāi; 活佛 reads 佛 as fó.

The old woman said, "The Buddha of the West is at the Temple of Great Thunderclap, within the bounds of the country of India — a hundred and eight thousand li from here.

She supplies the canonical geography: the Buddha sits at the 大雷音寺, the Temple of Great Thunderclap, inside the bounds of India, and it is a hundred and eight thousand 里 away. The number is not random — it is the exact distance one somersault of Wukong's cloud covers, as he will boast a few passages from now. The whole journey is one jump for the disciple the monk has just lost. 西方佛 reads 佛 as fó.

With but a single man and a lone horse, no companion and no disciple, how can you ever get there?"

And then the knife: one man, one horse, no companion, no disciple — how do you propose to get there? 你如何去得 reads 得 as dé, the 'can you manage it' sense.

Sanzang said, "Your disciple did, some days ago, take on a disciple; but he was of a wild and violent temper, and because I spoke a few words to him he would not take correction, and went off out of sight."

He tells the truth, including the part that reflects badly on him: I said a few words and he would not take correction. That admission is the opening she came for. 三藏 reads 藏 as zàng; 收得 takes 得 as de; 不受教 reads 教 as jiào.

The old woman said, "I have here a padded cloth tunic and a gold-inlaid flowered cap, which were once my son's. He was a monk only three days before, alas, his life was cut short and he died.

The provenance she gives the clothes is heartbreaking and entirely invented: they belonged to her son, who was a monk for three days before he died. 兒子 takes the light 子 (zi).

I have just now been to his temple to weep for him, taken leave of his master, and brought these two things — the garment and the cap — away, to keep as a remembrance.

Weeping at the temple, taking leave of his master, carrying the things home as keepsakes — the detail is laid on thickly, because these are not keepsakes. They are a leash. 將這兩件 reads 將 as jiāng.

Reverend, since you have a disciple, let me make you a gift of them."

Note the condition she attaches: since you have a disciple, take them. She is pressing the gift on exactly the ground he is about to deny. 長老 reads 長 as zhǎng.

Sanzang said, "I thank you, old mother, for your generous gift; but my disciple has already gone, and I dare not accept it."

And he refuses, honestly, for the honest reason — my disciple has gone. Which is precisely the objection she has come to demolish. 三藏 reads 藏 as zàng.