I heard that Sai Baba once asked a disciple for two paise. Was he actually asking for money, and what's the deeper meaning behind this request?

This is a profound teaching found in Chapter 19. When the Guru asked for two paise, he was not interested in worldly money. The text explicitly states, "he had no desire for worldly money; that was not his intention—what use did he have for gold?" The two paise were purely symbolic, representing the two most essential qualities a disciple must offer: Faith (Nishtha) and Patience (Saburi). The narrator confirms this by saying, "Faith (Nishtha) and Patience (Saburi)—these were the two paise, nothing else; I gave them to him then and there, and thus my Guru-Mother was pleased with me." Therefore, the request was a test and a teaching about the true price of spiritual guidance, which is unwavering faith and steadfast patience.