Sun Wukong, scratching his ears and cheeks in glee, said, "So the Great Emperor is an old friend of my Master, then we are not strangers. No wonder I always felt close to the Great Emperor."
Bai Jin closed the copied book and asked, "After copying the Tao Te Ching a thousand times, what truth have you realized?"
Sun Wukong, scratching his ears and cheeks nonchalantly, said, "I don't understand, don't understand at all. What's written there, I don't understand any of it. Isn't it enough to just copy it?"
Bai Jin said helplessly, "Indeed, you don't understand. If you did, you would not have privately picked flat peaches. Taking without permission is theft, and you have committed the crime of theft.
Do you realize your mistake, Wukong?"
Sun Wukong, still nonchalant and smug, said, "What's this about crime and no crime? I, Old Sun, was born free. I do whatever I want, right?"
Bai Jin frowned and scolded, "Nonsense!"
Sun Wukong was startled by this.
