Back home, I sprawled on the rocking chair, soaking up the sun, and played with my grandmother's calico cat, making it meow in protest.

Meanwhile, my great-great-great-great-great-grandmother was still talking to me.

"Why have you failed 250 blind dates? Back in my day, I was the most sought-after bride in the eastern district, famous for my beauty and grace. How can I hold my head up in the afterlife with a descendant like you?"

Because I don't want to get married right now.

"If you don't want to marry, just find a way to refuse."

Do you think I haven't tried?

I remembered coming across a question online: "What's the best way to make someone hate something?"

The top answer was, "Turn it into a job."

So at the beginning of the month, before the school holidays, I called my mom to reverse the pressure about marriage.

"Mom, New Year's is coming. When I come back, you must schedule ten blind dates a day for me."

On the other end, my mom was worried. "Honey, where am I going to find that many people?"

I sneered. "You have so many chat groups; just send out the word."

My mom said, "I can't do that. That would be too embarrassing."

"Mom, I'm already twenty-five, almost twenty-six. Before you know it, I'll be thirty. My grad school classmates already have triplets, and even Tommy, our neighbor and my childhood friend, has a son who is several years old. Aren't you worried that your daughter still hasn't found someone?"

My mom sighed. "Sweetie, marriage isn't all it's cracked up to be. Look, the divorce rate among millennials is 57%, and even the village head's daughter has been married three times. Why don't you take your time?"

"If marriage is so bad, why has she been married three times? I don't care. This is your task. I have a flight next Monday, so hurry up and arrange it."

My mom, forced into a corner, said, "I'm not dealing with this nonsense. Whoever wants to can handle it."

After hanging up, I happily kicked my feet in the dorm, thinking my reverse psychology trick had worked.

My great-great-great-great-great-grandmother furrowed her brows after hearing my recollection. "That should have worked, right? So how did you end up having to go on blind dates and even digging up my grave?"

Because the pesky Nathan shared a video in the family group chat that showed many young people using my trick!

After my scheme was exposed, my mom cursed for three days and arranged twenty blind dates over seven days for me, bringing the total to 250 with the ones from previous years.

My great-great-great-great-grandmother cursed in anger.

I earnestly asked in my mind, Great-great-great-great-great-grandmother, can you access the internet in the afterlife too?

Although I couldn't see her, I had a strong feeling she rolled her eyes. "What nonsense! Ours is a modernized afterlife. Apple's already released the iPhone 30 here. We're way ahead of you."

What?!

"We have all sorts of fun things to do here, just like you do. Would you like to come visit?"

I was so scared that I sat up straight, my mind racing.

Great-great-great-great-great-grandma, this can't be rushed. I am still young. This one-time-only trip has to be taken at the right time.

I'll take it slowly.

A chuckle sounded.

Suddenly, I realized a problem.

My great-great-great-great-great-grandmother said she and my great-great-great-great-great-grandfather were buried together in that tomb to ensure our family's prosperity.

But my ancestors were very poor, with three of them living in poverty.

...

It was only in my father's generation, with three brothers, that we managed to start a small business and improve our situation.

My great-great-great-great-great-grandmother laughed again. "Oh, finally figured it out, huh?"

I frantically asked in my mind for the reason.

"Because your great-great-great-great-great-grandfather wasn't buried with me. He fell in love with someone else before I died."

A shocking family secret was unearthed.

I immediately got up, grabbed some snacks, and small stools.

Meanwhile, outside the courtyard, more than ten people were already gathered.

My grandmother, mother, father, Nathan, and a bunch of others crowded in the corner, exchanging glances and signaling each other to stay quiet.

They were waiting for the show to begin.

"Get lost."

My great-great-great-great-great-grandmother stopped talking.

My world suddenly became quiet, with only the occasional sound of roosters crowing and cows mooing.

It was as if everything had been a figment of my imagination.

Feeling a bit lost, I pulled out my phone and opened an erotic story.

The story made my heart race and my face flush.

Oh my, the male lead is so sexually vigorous. The forced love trope is oddly compelling.

While I was blushing from the steamy story, my family, who had been squatting by the wall, had dispersed due to the long silence.

But then my great-great-great-great-great-grandmother's voice suddenly reappeared. "Enjoying a good read behind my back?"

Startled, I quickly turned off my phone screen.

I just embarrassed myself in front of my ancestor.

But my great-great-great-great-great-grandmother wasn't pleased. "It looks so steamy! Why did you turn it off?"

I stayed silent.

Then she said, "Actually, the male lead's experiences are quite similar to those of your great-great-great-great-great-grandfather."

Suddenly, the story didn't seem so enticing.

In fact, it made me feel a bit nauseous.

The story was about a handsome and outstanding teacher in the town who fell in love at first sight with his student's older sister, a resilient farm girl. The teacher neglected his wife and son for love and threatened the farm girl with her brother to make her his plaything.

Reading fiction without a moral compass is one thing, but this is real life.

I fell silent.

Sensing my low spirits, my great-great-great-great-great-grandmother comforted me. "That was a different, harsh era, a time when men having multiple wives was normal. I've long since come to terms with it."

How do you get along in the afterlife?

"This place much more advanced than the human world. As soon as I arrived, I was able to divorce your great-great-great-great-great-grandfather. He's been stuck in the Blood Pool Hell for a hundred years, paying for abandoning his wife and child and forcing women against their will."

What about the farm girl?

My great-great-great-great-great-grandmother's voice turned shy. "I helped Agnes a bit when I was alive, and she was grateful to me. So, she joined me in the afterlife, and we started a small business together."

I was excited, feeling that their relationship might evolve into a deeply intimate lesbian bond.

Then what? Are you two together now? No one objects?

"Why would anyone object?"

Even now, there are still objections to it.

"Our country has always had its fair share of same-sex love and sworn brotherhoods. Haven't you heard of kings with male lovers? It's ironic how some ideas regressed as the world progressed."

Outside the wall, my second cousin, Chris, suddenly cried.

I stuck my head out to take a look and said, "What's the matter with you, crying in the corner like a wretched soul?"

His wails grew louder.