Bajie, together with the Pilgrim, came up onto the high bank and saw the Tang Monk.

A small trap for the eye. 同行者 here is not the compound 同行 (tóngháng, 'in the same trade') but 'together with 行者' — the Pilgrim, which is the monkey's title (行 xíng). And in 三藏 it is 藏 that carries the zàng: Sān zàng, 'Three Baskets.'

Sanzang rose a little and said: 'You have had a hard time of it, disciples.' Bajie said:

欠身 is to raise oneself a little from where one is sitting — the courteous half-rise you make for someone who has done you a service. 辛苦, literally 'bitter and toilsome,' is the set phrase for 'you've had a hard time of it,' and it is still exactly what you say in Chinese to somebody coming off a long shift.

'Never mind the toil — only when we've subdued the monster and got you across the river will the plan be truly safe and sound.'

Bajie keeps his eye on the actual objective, which nobody else quite does: 降了妖精, subdue the monster (降 xiáng), and 送得你過河, get you ferried across (得 de). The fighting is not the point. The crossing is.

Sanzang asked: 'How did your fight with the monster go just now?' Bajie said:

交戰何如, 'how did the joining of battle go?' The master asks for the report, and gets a fair one.

'That fiend's skill makes him a fair match for old Hog. At the very height of the fight I feigned a defeat,

是個對手, 'he is a match' — Bajie, who exaggerates about most things, is scrupulous about this one and gives the demon his due. 詐敗, the sham rout (那 nà), was his own contribution, and it worked.

'and he came chasing up onto the bank. But seeing elder brother raise his cudgel, off he ran.'

舉著棍子, 'raising the cudgel' (著 zhe). And there the report stops, with the blame placed precisely where the reader has just watched it fall.

Sanzang said: 'Then what is to be done?' The Pilgrim said: 'Set your mind at ease, Master, and don't fret.'

怎生奈何, 'however is it to be helped?', is the master's standing note of dismay; 放心, 'set your heart down,' is the monkey's standing reassurance. The trouble this time is that he has nothing behind it.

'It's growing late now; sit here on the bank a while, and wait for old Sun to go and beg some vegetarian fare,

化些齋飯 is to beg some vegetarian food — 化 being the proper verb for a monk collecting alms, not simply asking. With no plan available, the monkey turns to dinner.

'then you'll eat and sleep, and we'll deal with it again tomorrow.'

待明日再處, 'we'll deal with it again tomorrow.' The crossing is postponed, which sets up both the next day's fruitless argument and, eventually, the appeal to Guanyin.

Bajie said: 'Well said — go quickly and come back quickly.'

說得是, 'rightly said' (得 de), followed instantly by 快去快來, 'go fast, come fast.' Bajie has heard the word for food and is now managing the schedule.