Once upon a time, the king lay on his dragon bed, tears streaming down his face, crying uncontrollably until it was dark outside. Seeing this, the Monkey King couldn't help but step forward and shout, “What’s wrong with you? Look at that Taoist's corpse—one looks like a tiger, the other like a deer, and the bones resemble those of a goat. If you don’t believe me, pull up the bones and take a look. Who has such a skeleton? He was originally a mountain spirit and will eventually harm you! When your luck runs out, he will take your life and your kingdom. Fortunately, we’ve come to exorcise the demons and save you. Why are you still crying? Hurry up and send out the decree to let me leave!”
Upon hearing this, the king finally came to his senses. At that moment, all the civil and military officials spoke in unison, “The deceased is indeed a white deer and a yellow tiger, and the pot contained goat bones. We must heed the holy monk’s words!” The king nodded, “If that’s the case, I thank the holy monk. It’s late today; please, Grand Master, take the holy monk to Zhiyuan Temple. We will hold a grand banquet in the East Pavilion tomorrow morning to express our gratitude.” So, everyone escorted the Monkey King to the temple to rest.
The next morning, the king held court, summoned all the officials, and ordered, “Quickly issue the monk recruitment decree and hang it at all four city gates!” While preparing a lavish banquet, the Monkey King and Tang Seng were also invited to the East Pavilion for the feast. The monks who had narrowly escaped death were excited to hear about the recruitment decree and rushed into the city to find Sun Wukong to thank him. After the banquet, the king exchanged farewell gifts with the queen, concubines, and officials as they sent Tang Seng out of the city.
Along the way, the monks knelt by the roadside, calling out, “Great Sage Equal to Heaven! We are the monks who escaped from the sandy beach. We heard you eliminated the demons and saved us, and now the king has issued a decree to recruit monks. We’ve come to express our gratitude!” The Monkey King smiled and asked, “How many of you are there?” The monks replied, “Five hundred, not a single one missing.” With a flick of his body, he accepted their offerings and said to the king and everyone present, “These monks were released by me. The vehicles I used to transport them were broken by my staff. I also killed those two demon Taoists. Today, having vanquished evil, we realize the teachings of Zen. I hope you can unite the three teachings, respect the monks and Taoists, and cultivate talent. I will ensure your kingdom remains secure.” The king, deeply grateful, then sent Tang Seng out of the city.
From then on, Tang Seng focused on his cultivation and diligently recited scriptures, unaware that spring turned to summer and then to autumn. One day, as dusk fell, Tang Seng reined in his horse and asked, “Disciple, where shall we find shelter tonight?” The Monkey King replied, “Master, a monk shouldn’t speak of the comforts of home.” Tang Seng, puzzled, asked, “What’s wrong with home comforts? What about being a monk?” The Monkey King explained, “At this time, people at home are warm in their beds, cradling their children and sleeping peacefully. But we monks don’t have such comfort; we must travel under the stars, eat the wind, and sleep on the water. We walk when there’s a path and stop when there isn’t.”
Pigsy chimed in, “Brother, you only see one side of it. The journey is treacherous, and I’m carrying a heavy burden. It’s really hard to walk; we need to find a place to rest, or I’ll collapse!” The Monkey King replied, “Let’s walk a bit further in the moonlight and find a place to stay.” With no other choice, the master and disciples followed the Monkey King onward.
Not long after, they suddenly heard the sound of crashing waves. Pigsy said, “It’s over; we’ve reached the end of the road!” Sandy replied, “There’s a stream blocking our way.” Tang Seng asked, “How do we cross it?” Pigsy said, “Let me check the water’s depth.” Tang Seng grew anxious: “Wukong, don’t be reckless; you can’t just test the water’s depth like that!” Pigsy suggested, “I’ll find a pebble and throw it in. If the surface splashes, it’s shallow; if the stone sinks with a sound, it’s deep.” The Monkey King said, “Then go ahead and try.”
Pigsy found a stone by the roadside and threw it into the water. With a “splash,” the stone sank. He exclaimed, “It’s deep, deep, deep! We can’t cross!” Tang Seng said, “You’ve tested the depth, but you don’t know the width.” Pigsy admitted, “That’s true; I don’t know that.” The Monkey King said, “Let me take a look.” He leaped into the air, carefully observing. The moonlight shimmered on the water’s surface, creating a picturesque scene. Suddenly, he noticed a thick mist surrounding them, making it seem boundless like the ocean. The Monkey King quickly retracted his cloud and landed by the riverbank, saying seriously, “Master, it’s very wide here; we can’t just go across! I have keen eyesight—by day, I can see for a thousand miles, and by night, three to five hundred miles. But now, I can’t even see the shore; how can I determine how wide the water is?”
Hearing this, Tang Seng was so frightened he couldn’t speak, his voice choked: “Disciple, what should we do?” Sandy comforted him, “Master, don’t cry. Look over there by the water; it seems like there’s someone there.” The Monkey King immediately ran over to check, only to find it wasn’t a person at all, but a stone tablet. The tablet had three large characters inscribed on it: “Tongtian River,” and below were ten smaller words: “Eight hundred miles wide, few have crossed since ancient times.” The Monkey King called out, “Master, come look!” Tang Seng saw it and couldn’t stop the tears from flowing: “Disciple, when I left Chang’an, I thought the journey to the West would be easy. I never expected to encounter demons and obstacles, with mountains and waters so distant!”
At that moment, Pigsy interjected, “Master, listen! It sounds like there’s a drumbeat; someone must be preparing a meal. Let’s ask about the ferry and cross tomorrow.” Tang Seng listened and indeed heard the drumbeat, thinking, “This isn’t a Taoist instrument; it must be related to us monks. Let’s go check it out.” So, the Monkey King took the horse, and everyone followed the sound.
As they walked, they finally saw a cluster of houses, around four to five hundred of them, quite well-built. The houses were built against the mountains and by the water, with tightly shut wooden doors and interconnected bamboo courtyards. On the sandy beach, egrets were dreaming, while the sound of cuckoos came from the willow trees. The short flute was silent, and the cold anvil was quiet. Red sedge swayed in the moonlight, and yellow reeds danced in the wind. Dogs barked at the village entrance, and an old fisherman was dozing by the ferry. The lights were sparse, and the village was quiet; the bright moon hung like a mirror in the sky, and suddenly a fragrant breeze wafted over from the west, carried by the autumn wind.
Tang Seng dismounted and saw a house at the intersection, with a banner outside and bright lights inside, surrounded by fragrant smoke. He said, “Wukong, this place is much better than that valley by the river. Under a roof in the human world, I can escape the cold dew and sleep peacefully. You all stay here; let me visit the host first. If he’s willing to accommodate me, I’ll call you in; if not, don’t cause any trouble, so as not to scare him!” The Monkey King nodded, “That’s right, Master. You go ahead; we’ll wait here.”
So, Tang Seng took off his hat, revealing his bald head, shook out his robes, and walked to the door with his staff. The door was half-open, and he didn’t dare to enter recklessly, so he waited outside. At that moment, an old man came out, muttering “Amitabha Buddha,” and was about to close the door. Tang Seng quickly joined his palms and shouted, “Old host, I’m here to greet you!”
Upon hearing this, the old man hurriedly returned the greeting, saying, “Monk, you’ve come too late!”
Tang Seng was puzzled, “What do you mean?” The old man replied, “If you had come earlier, there would have been food—three sheng of cooked rice, a piece of white cloth, and ten copper coins. Why did you come at this hour?” Tang Seng quickly explained, “Old host, I’m not here for the meal.” The old man asked in confusion, “Then why are you here?” Tang Seng said, “I’m an envoy from the Tang Dynasty, here to the West to fetch scriptures. It’s late, and hearing your drumbeat, I came to seek shelter for the night and will leave tomorrow.” The old man shook his head, “Monk, don’t joke; it’s fifty-four thousand miles from the Tang Dynasty to here. How could you have come alone?”
Tang Seng hurriedly said, “Old host, you’re right, but I have three disciples with me who clear the path through mountains and build bridges over water, protecting me to get here.” The old man replied, “Since you have disciples, why not bring them in together?” Tang Seng joyfully exclaimed, “Then please lead the way!” Hearing their master’s call, the Monkey King, Pigsy, and Sandy took the horse and burdens and rushed in.
Upon seeing them, the old man was so frightened that he fell to the ground, repeatedly shouting, “Monsters! Monsters are here!” Tang Seng quickly helped him up, saying, “Don’t be afraid; they aren’t monsters; they’re my disciples.” The old man trembled, “Good master, how could you have such ugly disciples!” Tang Seng smiled and explained, “Though they may not look good, they can subdue dragons and tigers, capturing demons and monsters.” The old man listened, half-convinced, and slowly walked with Tang Seng.
The three brothers barged into the hall, tied up the horse, threw down their luggage, and swaggered inside. A few monks were reciting scriptures in the hall, and upon seeing them, Pigsy immediately shouted, “Hey, monk, what scripture are you reciting?” The monks looked up in shock, their hearts racing. Seeing the three of them, each resembling a thunder god with their sturdy builds and booming voices, the monks were terrified. They dropped their chimes and bells, causing chaos as they stumbled around like toppled gourds, turning the serene temple into a farce.
Seeing this, the three brothers laughed heartily, finding it even more amusing. The monks, in a panic, bowed and bumped into each other, desperately trying to escape. Tang Seng helped the old man into the hall, where the lights were out, and the three were still laughing. Tang Seng, furious, scolded them, “You unruly bunch, how can you be so unkind! I teach you every day; as the ancients said, ‘To be good without teaching is not what a sage should be!’ You’re acting foolishly! You barged into someone’s home, scared the old host, and messed up his good intentions—aren’t you just causing me trouble?” Hearing this, they all fell silent, not daring to speak.
At this moment, the old man finally believed that the three were Tang Seng's disciples and quickly turned around to greet him, saying, “Master, it’s all right, it’s all right. We just turned off the lights; the Buddhist ceremony is almost over.” Upon hearing this, Pigsy immediately said, “Since it’s over, hurry and serve the meal; we’ll eat and then sleep.” The old man quickly called out, “Bring the lamps! Bring the lamps!”
At that moment, the people inside were startled, wondering, “Why do we need to light the lamps again in the hall?” A few young men ran out and, seeing the darkness and unable to light a torch, looked up and saw Pigsy and Sandy. They dropped their torches in fright, quickly shut the middle door, and shouted in panic, “Monsters! Monsters are here!”
Seeing this, the Monkey King picked up a torch to light the candles, pulled over a chair for Tang Seng to sit down, and he and his brothers sat beside him, while the old man sat in front. Just as they were chatting, another old man came out, leaning on a cane, and asked, “Who is this evil spirit visiting my humble home in the dark?” The first old man hurriedly approached him, saying, “Brother, don’t panic; this is not an evil spirit but a monk from the Tang Dynasty here to fetch scriptures. Although his disciples look fierce, they are actually good people.” The second old man then felt reassured, set down his cane, and sat down.
The old man quickly called out, “Bring tea and prepare the meal.” After a few calls, several young men timidly came out but didn’t dare to approach. Pigsy couldn’t help but ask, “Old man, why are you serving the meal like this?” The old man replied, “I’m teaching them to serve the meal for the master.” Pigsy asked curiously, “How many are serving?” The old man said, “Eight people.” Pigsy immediately responded, “Then the white-faced master only needs one, the one with the rough face needs two, and the one with the unlucky face needs eight; I need twenty!” The old man laughed, “It seems your appetite is quite big.” Pigsy didn’t mind and replied, “Well, let’s see how it goes.”
The old man then called over thirty to forty people, and everyone relaxed as they began preparing the meal. A table was set up in the hall for Tang Seng to sit at, with three more tables for his three disciples on either side, and the two old men seated in front. The dishes were plentiful, including vegetarian fruits, vegetables, rice, and noodle soup. Tang Seng picked up his chopsticks and recited a passage from the “Opening of the Meal Sutra.” But Pigsy couldn’t wait any longer; his stomach had been growling for a while. He grabbed a red lacquer wooden bowl and, with a thud, dumped the rice into his mouth, devouring it voraciously.
The young men nearby were puzzled and said, “This master really didn’t plan well; why is there only rice and no buns? His clothes won’t get dirty!” Upon hearing this, Pigsy burst out laughing, “I didn’t plan; I’ve already eaten!” The young men didn’t believe him and asked, “If you didn’t serve, how could you have eaten?” Pigsy pounded his chest, saying, “You little ones just love to tell lies! I clearly ate; if not, why don’t you serve me another bowl to try?” The young men brought him another bowl, but the foolish Pigsy shook and dumped all the rice straight into his mouth, eating with great delight.
The servants exclaimed, “Goodness! You’ve got a throat like a brick, smooth and shiny!” Meanwhile, Tang Seng was still reciting the sutra, while Pigsy had already eaten five or six bowls. When he finally picked up his chopsticks again, he was gobbling down food and shouting, “More rice! More rice!” Gradually, even the people serving the rice disappeared.
The Monkey King advised from the side, “Brother, eat a little less; you can still feel somewhat full if you hold back.” Pigsy dismissed him, saying, “That’s nonsense! As the saying goes, ‘If a monk isn’t full, it’s better to be buried alive!’” The Monkey King shook his head, “Don’t mind him; just prepare the fire.” The two old men bowed and said, “Master, to be honest, during the day it was fine. With this big-bellied elder, we could serve a hundred or so; but now that it’s late, we’ve cleared the leftover offerings and only steamed a stone’s worth of rice, five dou of rice, and a few tables of vegetarian dishes. Originally, we were going to invite neighbors and monks to share the blessings. We didn’t expect you to come and scare everyone away, so we didn’t dare invite anyone. As a result, everything is offered to you. If it’s not enough, we can steam more!” Upon hearing this, Pigsy immediately shouted, “Steam more! Steam more!”
As soon as he finished speaking, after tidying up the table, Tang Seng clasped his hands to thank them for the offerings and then asked, “Good host, what’s your surname?” The old man replied, “My surname is Chen.” Tang Seng joined his palms and said, “I am a humble monk from the Hua sect.” The old man was puzzled, “You also have the surname Chen?” Tang Seng nodded, “Yes, my secular name is also Chen. May I ask what kind of offering was made earlier?” Pigsy interjected with a laugh, “Why is the master asking him? Doesn’t he know? It must be the Green Seed Offering, the Peace Offering, or the Completion Offering!” The old man quickly shook his head, “No, no.”
Tang Seng pressed on, “Then what is it?” The old man replied, “It’s a pre-arranged offering for the deceased.” Pigsy burst into laughter, “Old man, you really have no insight! We’re just here to tell tall tales; how could we believe that! Don’t monks know about offerings? There are only pre-arranged offerings for the treasury or for repayment; there’s no such thing as a pre-arranged offering for the deceased! Your family hasn’t even lost anyone; why would you do an offering for the dead?”
Hearing this, the Monkey King secretly rejoiced, thinking, “Finally, this fool is a bit clever.” He said to the old man, “Old man, you’re mistaken; how can it be called a pre-arranged offering for the deceased?” The two old men quickly bowed, “You’re on a pilgrimage for scriptures; why are you not taking the proper road and instead coming here?” The Monkey King replied, “We are on the proper road, but we encountered a water blockage and heard the sound of drums, so we came here to seek shelter.” The old man asked, “Did you see anything by the water?” The Monkey King said, “We saw a stone tablet with the words ‘Tongtian River’ written on it, and below it, it said, ‘Few have traveled this ancient path of eight hundred miles.’ Other than that, there was nothing.”
The old man continued, “If you walk further along the shore, not far from that tablet, there’s a temple of the Great King of Spiritual Response; haven’t you seen it?” The Monkey King shook his head, “I haven’t seen it. Can you tell me what the Great King of Spiritual Response is?” The two old men immediately shed tears, saying, “Oh, master, that great king is remarkable, responding to the region, with thriving temples and divine power extending for miles, blessing the common people. Every year, the village receives sweet dew, and every year, the village sees auspicious clouds.” The Monkey King listened, confused, “Sweet dew and auspicious clouds are good things; why are you so sad?”
The old man began to stomp his feet and pound his chest, choking back tears, “Oh, master, although there are many blessings, there are also grievances; kindness can hurt people. It’s because he demands the sacrifice of children, which is not the act of a righteous god!” The Monkey King was taken aback, “Demands the sacrifice of children?” The old man nodded, “Exactly.” The Monkey King asked, “Is it your turn this year?” The old man replied, “This year happens to be our turn. We have a hundred families here, under the jurisdiction of Chechiguo Yuanhui County, called Chen Family Village. Every year, the king demands one boy and one girl, along with pigs, sheep, and wine for offerings. If he eats, he blesses us with good weather; if we don’t offer, disasters will come.”
The Monkey King asked, “How many sons do you have?” The old man sighed, “Alas! There are no sons at all; it’s quite shameful! This is my younger brother, named Chen Qing, and I’m Chen Cheng. This year, I’m sixty-three, and he’s fifty-eight; it’s difficult for us to have children. When I was fifty, I had no sons, and friends urged me to take a concubine. I ended up finding one, and she gave birth to a daughter who is now eight years old, named Yicheng Jin.” Pigsy, curious, asked, “What a precious name! Why call her Yicheng Jin?” The old man explained, “Because I spent a lot of money on building bridges and making roads, providing offerings for monks, hoping for children. When my daughter grows up, it just so happens that I’ll have spent thirty pounds of gold, so I named her Yicheng Jin.”
The Monkey King asked, “What about your brother's son?” The old man said, “He also has a son, seven years old, named Chen Guanbao.” The Monkey King asked, “Why that name?” The old man replied, “Because our family worships the Great Lord Guan, and we prayed for this son, so we named him Guanbao. My brother and I are getting older, and we only have these two children. Unfortunately, this year is our turn to offer sacrifices, so we cannot avoid it. The bond between father and son is deep, so we’re preparing a ritual for the child in advance, called a pre-arranged offering for the deceased.”
Tang Seng listened and couldn’t help but shed tears, saying, “This is exactly what the ancients meant: ‘While the yellow plum falls, the green plum remains; heaven is biased against those without children.’” The Monkey King smiled and asked, “Let me ask you, old man, how much property do you have?” The old man replied, “Quite a bit, actually—about forty to fifty acres of rice fields, sixty to seventy acres of dry land, eighty to ninety pastures, two to three hundred water buffalo, twenty to thirty donkeys and horses, and countless pigs, sheep, chickens, and geese. There’s also leftover grain we can’t eat and clothes we can’t wear; our family wealth is not small.”
Hearing this, the Monkey King teased, “With so much money, how can you bear to sacrifice your own children for offerings? It costs fifty taels of silver for a boy and a hundred for a girl; even if you spend two hundred taels, you could keep your descendants. Isn’t that better?” The old man wept profusely, saying, “Master, you don’t understand. That great king has incredible spiritual power and often comes to our home.” The Monkey King asked curiously, “Have you seen his appearance when he comes?” The old man replied, “No, we’ve never seen him. We only smell a fragrant breeze and know the great king has arrived, so everyone rushes to burn incense and bow. He knows our family’s affairs; he remembers the young and old, and he only likes biological children. Even if you offered two to three hundred taels, you couldn’t buy a child that looks just like them.”
The Monkey King understood, “I see. Then bring your son out for me to see.” Chen Qing hurried inside and brought out Guan Bao, placing him in front of the lamp. The child, unaware of the situation, was holding a fruit and dancing. The Monkey King saw this and silently chanted a spell, transforming into Guan Bao’s likeness. The two children held hands and danced in front of the lamp, scaring the old man into kneeling down, exclaiming, “Master, I don’t want to be your son! This master looks just like my son; when he calls, they respond together! This will surely shorten our lives! Please return to your original form! Please return to your original form!” The Monkey King, helpless, had to wipe his face and reveal his true appearance.
The old man knelt on the ground respectfully, saying, “Master, you truly have remarkable abilities!” The Monkey King smiled and asked, “Do I look like your son?” The old man nodded repeatedly, “Yes, yes! It’s truly identical in face, voice, clothing, and height!” The Monkey King continued, “Well, didn’t you take a closer look? Go get a scale and weigh them to see if they are the same weight.” The old man immediately responded, “Yes, yes! They really are the same weight!” The Monkey King laughed and asked, “Then can this count as an offering?” The old man joyfully said, “That’s wonderful! It can count!” The Monkey King patted his chest, “Then I’ll save this child’s life and ensure your family’s lineage. I’ll go make the offering to that great king!”
Chen Qing, hearing this, hurriedly knelt and bowed, saying, “Master, if you can show mercy and help me, I’m willing to give you one thousand taels of silver for Lord Tang’s travel expenses to the West.” The Monkey King laughed, “Aren’t you going to thank me?” The old man said, “You’ve already made the offering for me; it doesn’t matter if you’re gone.” The Monkey King asked, “How could I be gone?” The old man sighed, “The great king will eat.” The Monkey King scoffed, “Would he dare eat me?” The old man replied, “He won’t eat you; he’s afraid of the fishy taste.” The Monkey King laughed, “Let him be; if he eats me, it’s my fate. If he doesn’t, it’s my fortune. I’ll go with you to make the offering.”
At this moment, Chen Qing kept bowing in thanks and promised to give five hundred taels of silver. But Chen Cheng didn’t say thank you; he simply leaned against the screen and cried. The Monkey King saw this and approached him, saying, “Eldest brother, are you not thanking me? Are you reluctant to part with your daughter?” Chen Cheng then knelt down, saying, “I truly can’t bear to part with her. You can save my nephew, and I’m already very grateful. But I have no sons, only one daughter. After I die, she will also cry; how can I bear that!” The Monkey King said, “Quickly steam five dou of rice, prepare some good vegetarian dishes, and eat with my long-nosed master. Teach him to transform into your daughter. I’ll go with you to make the offering and save your two children. How does that sound?”
Pigsy, startled, thought to himself, “Brother, are you asking me to become a girl? What about me?” The Monkey King said, “Brother, as the saying goes, ‘A chick doesn’t eat food without work.’ We enjoyed a grand offering upon entering; how can we not help others in their time of need?” Pigsy helplessly replied, “Brother, I can only transform into mountains and trees, water buffaloes and big fat men; transforming into a little girl is too difficult.” The Monkey King said, “Eldest brother, don’t believe him. Quickly bring your daughter out for me to see.” Chen Cheng hurriedly ran inside and brought out Yicheng Jin, placing her in the hall.
The little girl wore a jeweled hairpin adorned with eight treasures, dressed in a red and yellow silk jacket, with a green satin cape featuring a chessboard collar draped over it. She had a large red silk skirt tied around her waist and was wearing shallow red silk shoes shaped like toads, with golden knee pants on her legs, happily eating fruit. The Monkey King said to Pigsy, “This is the girl; quickly transform into her likeness so we can make the offering.” Pigsy frowned, “Brother, how can I transform into someone so delicate and pretty?”
The Monkey King urged, “Hurry up! Don’t dawdle!” Pigsy grumbled, “Don’t hit me, brother; wait until I transform before you look.” The silly pig chanted a spell and shook a few times, but ended up looking like a girl with a very fat belly. The Monkey King couldn’t help but laugh, “Transform again!” Pigsy, with a pained expression, said, “Go ahead and hit me; I can’t transform like this. What should I do?” The Monkey King replied, “Is it a girl’s head on a monk’s body? That won’t work; hurry up and transform properly!” He blew a breath of celestial energy at Pigsy, and indeed, he transformed to look just like the little girl.
The Monkey King said to the old man, “Take your family and children inside; don’t get it wrong. Soon, when Pigsy and I hide, it will be hard to tell who is who. Give her good fruit to eat; don’t let her cry or call out, or else the great king will know, and the news will spread.” The Great Sage instructed Sandy to protect Tang Seng while he transformed into Chen Guan Bao and Pigsy transformed into a scale of gold. Once they were ready, they asked, “How do we make the offering? Should we tie them up or steam them?” Pigsy asked, “Brother, I don’t have that skill.” The old man said, “No, no! Just use two red lacquered trays; please have the two of you sit in the trays, and we’ll carry you to the temple.”
The Monkey King said, “Good, bring out the trays to try.” The old man immediately brought out two trays, and the Monkey King and Pigsy sat on them. Four young men lifted the two trays and walked to the courtyard, then brought them back to the hall. The Monkey King happily said, “Pigsy, walking like this, we’re also like monks on the offering platform!” Pigsy replied, “As long as we get to the temple, I’m not afraid; but if I really have to be eaten, then I won’t be happy!” The Monkey King said, “Just watch me; when it’s time for me to be eaten, you run away.”
Pigsy panicked, “If they eat the boy first, I can run; but if they eat the girl first, what should I do?” The old man said, “During the usual offerings, some brave ones hide behind the temple or under the offering table, watching to see if they eat the boy first or the girl.” At that moment, drums and gongs sounded outside, and the villagers opened the front door, shouting, “Bring out the boys and girls!” The old man cried, and the four young men carried them out, truly not knowing what would happen to their lives. Stay tuned for the next part.
