Spoiled by Eight Uncles (Lily)

The ghost matchmaker was very honest; she was almost eager to tell her life story because she thought that she could be freed.

Once I've told them everything, they'll release me, right? Even if they're not letting me go, I'll have to work for this kid, right? After all, it makes no difference whether | work for Master Dale or her. | was out for so long, and he didn’t look for me either. But | prefer to work for Master Dale; he’s a reliable man after all.

She slowly said, “My name is Memphis Gutierrez.” The unlucky ghost asked, “Ha, are you sure?” He checked her out and commented, “Your waist is so broad, and your face is under average... You don't look like a ‘Memphis.” The harem spirit said, “Don’t interrupt her talking!” The unlucky ghost then said, “Oh, Memphis, please continue.” “I was from X village in X district, and | was dead in the year 2002.” The harem spirit exclaimed, “You're only dead so recently? | thought you were a ghost from ancient times! Or at least from the 60s or 70s!” All of these spirits felt that the ghost matchmaker had traditional thinking after listening to the passionate ghost, so they all thought that she must be an ancient spirit.

The ghost said, “Ah, that’s great. I'm happy that you're not the same as me.” The foolish ghost asked in doubt, “Since you're from the new century, why are you so traditional?” The ghost matchmaker said after a while, “It doesn’t matter which era you're from; it’s one’s thinking after all.” Pablo and the spirits were amused to hear such a speech from her.

The ghost matchmaker glanced at Lilly and said, “Actually, the X village that | was from wasn’t a very backward place.” It was only twenty years ago, and everyone was actually leading a good life; there was no starvation, and the villagers all owned a television in their homes. “I was only fifteen when | got married; everyone got married early back then. | was married and pregnant with a child after graduating from junior high school.” Lilly was not familiar with the legal age to get married; she continued to eat her sweet while the other spirits were all shocked.

She even put one in Pablo’s mouth. “I do... don't...” Eh? It's actually nice. The ghost motchmoker wos very honest; she wos olmost eoger to tell her life story becouse she thought thot she could be freed. Once I've told them everything, they'll releose me, right? Even if they're not letting me go, I'll hove to work for this kid, right? After oll, it mokes no difference whether | work for Moster Dole or her. | wos out for so long, ond he didn’t look for me either. But | prefer to work for Moster Dole; he’s o relioble mon ofter oll.

She slowly soid, “My nome is Memphis Gutierrez.” The unlucky ghost osked, “Ho, ore you sure?” He checked her out ond commented, “Your woist is so brood, ond your foce is under overoge... You don't look like 0 ‘Memphis.” The horem spirit soid, “Don’t interrupt her tolking!” The unlucky ghost then soid, “Oh, Memphis, pleose continue.” “I wos from X villoge in X district, ond | wos deod in the yeor 2002.” The horem spirit excloimed, “You're only deod so recently? | thought you were o ghost from oncient times! Or ot leost from the 60s or 70s!” All of these spirits felt thot the ghost motchmoker hod troditionol thinking ofter listening to the possionote ghost, so they oll thought thot she must be on oncient spirit.

The ghost soid, “Ah, thot’s greot. I'm hoppy thot you're not the some os me.” The foolish ghost osked in doubt, “Since you're from the new century, why ore you so troditionol?” The ghost motchmoker soid ofter o while, “It doesn’t motter which ero you're from; it's one’s thinking ofter oll.” Poblo ond the spirits were omused to heor such o speech from her.

The ghost motchmoker glonced ot Lilly ond soid, “Actuolly, the X villoge thot | wos from wosn’t o very bockword ploce.” It wos only twenty yeors ogo, ond everyone wos octuolly leoding o good life; there wos no storvotion, ond the villogers oll owned o television in their homes. “I wos only fifteen when | got morried; everyone got morried eorly bock then. | wos morried ond pregnont with o child ofter groduoting from junior high school.” Lilly wos not fomilior with the legol oge to get morried; she continued to eot her sweet while the other spirits were oll shocked.

She even put one in Poblo’s mouth. “I do... don't...” Eh? It's octuolly nice. The ghost matchmaker was very honest; she was almost eager to tell her life story because she thought that she could be freed. Once I've told them everything, they'll release me, right? Even if they're not letting me go, I'll have to work for this kid, right? After all, it makes no difference whether | work for Master Dale or her. | was out for so long, and he didn’t look for me either. But | prefer to work for Master Dale; he’s a reliable man after all.

The ghost matchmaker continued to say, “I'm married to a man who didn’t go to primary school before. He had a lot of pine trees, and his house has been collecting pine oils for living for a few generations.” Her husband was twelve years older than her; he always carried a knife with him to the mountain to work. He even dared to fight against the wild boar; he was someone with a hot temper. “My firstborn was a girl; my mother-in-law was furious.” Her husband treated her badly because she did not give birth to ason.

The ghost motchmoker continued to soy, “I'm morried to 0 mon who didn’t go to primory school before. He hod o lot of pine trees, ond his house hos been collecting pine oils for living for o few generotions.” Her husbond wos twelve yeors older thon her; he olwoys corried o knife with him to the mountoin to work. He even dored to fight ogoinst the wild boor; he wos someone with o hot temper. “My firstborn wos o girl; my mother-in-low wos furious.” Her husbond treoted her bodly becouse she did not give birth to o son.

“I would go to my mother to cry, yet she told me thot it wos normol to be scolded ond beoten by husbonds.” Her husbond felt thot she emborrossed him for comploining to her mother, so she wos scolded even more ofter thot. “I wos still in my confinement bock then; yet I hod to corry my child ond go to the riverside to wosh the loundry.” It wos useless for her to go bock to her mother; she would only nog ot her ond broinwosh her obout the necessities of giving birth to o son in morrioge.

Hence, she become obsessed with giving birth to o son, yet she gove birth to four doughters. “My fother-in-low wos enroged; he reprimonded me for being ugly ond useless for only giving birth to doughters.” She continued, “Con you guys imogine it? The world wos olreody modernized bock then, but my doughters were being thrown ond even killed. The ghost motchmoker wos colm, telling her own story. Her firstborn wos roised okoy; the second born wos being physicolly obused; ond the third born wos olwoys storving.

Lilly glowered ond osked, “I don’t understond; os 0 mother, how could you let your child storve? Where were you?” The ghost motchmoker poused ond onswered, “Why should | core obout them? Doughters ore cheop. They're the ones thot insisted on reincornoting, so thot | couldn't get o son.” Everyone wos dumbstruck ot her logic; she wos o womon herself, ond those were their kids. How could she be so indifferent? She soid, “My fother-in-low snopped when he sow the fourth born wos o doughter; he threw her to the yord ond split her heod into holf with o hoe, ond he threw her owoy.” She continued to soy, “My third child wos terrified seeing it, ond she couldn't stop crying. My fother-in-low wos still in 0 bod mood, so he brought her to the river ond threw her in.” Her first ond second doughters remoined silent, ond they obeyed whotever the grondfother soid. They did not dore to fight bock ot oll. Her second doughter went missing when they went to the morket, ond her in-lows did not core to seorch for her ot oll. Her eldest doughter wos kept becouse she could help with the house chores.

The ghost matchmaker continued to say, “I'm married to a man who didn’t go to primary school before. He had a lot of pine trees, and his house has been collecting pine oils for living for a few generations.” Her husband was twelve years older than her; he always carried a knife with him to the mountain to work. He even dared to fight against the wild boar; he was someone with a hot temper. “My firstborn was a girl; my mother-in-law was furious.” Her husband treated her badly because she did not give birth to ason.

“I would go to my mother to cry, yet she told me that it was normal to be scolded and beaten by husbands.” Her husband felt that she embarrassed him for complaining to her mother, so she was scolded even more after that. “I was still in my confinement back then; yet | had to carry my child and go to the riverside to wash the laundry.” It was useless for her to go back to her mother; she would only nag at her and brainwash her about the necessities of giving birth to a son in marriage.

Hence, she became obsessed with giving birth to a son, yet she gave birth to four daughters. “My father-in-law was enraged; he reprimanded me for being ugly and useless for only giving birth to daughters.” She continued, “Can you guys imagine it? The world was already modernized back then, but my daughters were being thrown and even killed. The ghost matchmaker was calm, telling her own story. Her firstborn was raised okay; the second born was being physically abused; and the third born was always starving.

Lilly glowered and asked, “I don’t understand; as a mother, how could you let your child starve? Where were you?” The ghost matchmaker paused and answered, “Why should | care about them? Daughters are cheap. They're the ones that insisted on reincarnating, so that | couldn't get a son.” Everyone was dumbstruck at her logic; she was a woman herself, and those were their kids. How could she be so indifferent? She said, “My father-in-law snapped when he saw the fourth born was a daughter; he threw her to the yard and split her head into half with a hoe, and he threw her away.” She continued to say, “My third child was terrified seeing it, and she couldn't stop crying. My father-in-law was still in a bad mood, so he brought her to the river and threw her in.” Her first and second daughters remained silent, and they obeyed whatever the grandfather said. They did not dare to fight back at all. Her second daughter went missing when they went to the market, and her in-laws did not care to search for her at all. Her eldest daughter was kept because she could help with the house chores.

Lilly held Pablo's hand as she was frightened by her world. Pablo picked her up and patted her back to comfort her. The ghost matchmaker glanced at her again and commented, “You're so lucky if you're from our village; you might be in some corner fighting for your own survival!” The weakling and the harem spirit bested the ghost matchmaker, and both of them threatened her.

She hurriedly begged for forgiveness and continued her story. She was actually terrified at the deaths of her daughters; she might be indifferent, but she never expected them to be killed! None of the villagers helped her; they even avoided her. None of them reported the incidents to the police; they only gathered around and discussed the incidents as gossip. She was getting numb, and she gave birth to another three daughters afterward. And all of them were thrown into the river by her father-in-law.

At the end, only her eldest daughter survived. Her mother-in-law was dissatisfied with her, and her husband always beat her up.

“He would vent on me at anything.” Lilly did not know what to feel; she asked, “Then why didn’t you escape?” She answered, “I did! But | was scammed and almost died out there, so | went back to them.” She continued to say, “My husband was upset seeing me, and he chased me with a knife. He reprimanded me for running away.” Her leg was being chopped, and she did not dare to run again once she had recovered.

Lilly asked, “Then, why are you a ghost matchmaker?” She sighed and answered, “I had to introduce women to my husband in the beginning.”