Chapter 385: All Clueless

Since Grandma was living with them now, she obviously approved of their relationship. What was there not to understand?

"Alright. You’ve really been working hard."

"Work hard? Not at all, this is my job," the housekeeper said. "Seeing them happy makes me happy. I’ve been in housekeeping for so many years, and this is the first time I’ve seen a young couple so loving and so perfectly matched. I’ll do my best so I can stay on for a few more years and help take care of their children later on. With how beautiful the two of them are, any kids they have are sure to be gorgeous."

Grandma and the housekeeper started eating first. They were nearly done by the time Amina and Zeke Walton finally emerged, having taken their sweet time.

The mutual adoration between them was so palpable it couldn’t be concealed. Even though both the housekeeper and Grandma had seen a lot in their lives, they felt too shy to look directly at the couple.

"It’s a beautiful day," Grandma said. "The housekeeper and I are going to take a walk in the park. You two just leave your dishes after you finish eating; I’ll take care of them when I get back."

Amina had a feeling they could see right through her. Face flushed with bashfulness, she didn’t dare to look up. Zeke Walton answered for them.

"Alright. Be careful, you two. And come back soon."

"I will, don’t worry," the housekeeper replied. "With me looking after her, Grandma will be perfectly fine."

With that, she started gathering her things to leave with Grandma. Suddenly, Zeke Walton turned to the older woman.

"Did you bring your household registration book? Amina and I want to go get our marriage license."

Amina was stunned.

’Why so suddenly? Does he mean... we’re getting married? Zeke Walton wants to marry me?’

’I’m getting married!’

They had left in such a hurry, there was no time to pack anything. She was sure they didn’t have it.

But Amina still looked at her grandmother instinctively.

Sure enough, her grandmother was also taken aback.

"I don’t have it. I wasn’t planning on coming with you at the time. You and Amina..."

Zeke Walton said, "Amina and I decided to get married long ago, but you know, she hadn’t had a chance to introduce us."

Now that he’d met her family, and everything else was in place, Zeke Walton felt the timing was perfect. He wanted to get their marriage license right away.

"Grandma, could you call someone you know well and trust back in the village? Ask them to mail the household registration book to us?"

’If that doesn’t work, I’ll just take a few guys and go back myself. I’ll grab that household register by force if I have to.’ He was going to marry Amina, and that was final.

The people Grandma knew well in the village were all old women around her own age. Forget not knowing how to mail a package, even if they did, the town was too far away for it to be convenient.

Still, she was very happy that Zeke Walton wanted to marry her Amina.

She said kindly, "We can’t stay away forever, can we? Our family has lived in that place for generations. When I die, I must be buried back home. We have to go back sooner or later, so let’s just go back and get it then. Don’t you worry. As long as I’m there, her brothers won’t dare to cause any real trouble. Once you two have some free time, we’ll go back and hold a grand wedding in the village. That way, people won’t have anything to gossip about Amina for."

’That makes sense,’ Zeke Walton thought.

Although he had no intention of ever letting Amina return to that village for good, it was true that the people there had all watched her grow up.

The thought of them spending the rest of their lives gossiping about Amina behind her back didn’t sit well with Zeke Walton either.

’If he was going to marry her, he would do it in grand style and shut everyone up.’

"Alright. I’ll arrange my work schedule. We’ll go back as soon as possible."

He truly couldn’t wait to marry Amina.

While Zeke Walton and Amina were wrapped up in their romance, her two brothers were nearly dying of anxiety.

The day they had visited, Mrs. Walton had promised them all sorts of things and even given them her number. But after returning home, they waited for days with no word.

The two of them were unemployed, so they spent every waking moment waiting for that call. With their food expenses piling up, they were at their wits’ end.

"Brother, you don’t think they just locked up and skipped town, do you? Here we are, waiting like a couple of idiots. It’s been days. What if by the time we go back, they’re long gone?"

After thinking it over, the two brothers gritted their teeth and took another taxi to the Walton Villa.

Thank God, they hadn’t run off. The security guards were still at the gate.

A security guard called the butler, who informed Mrs. Walton, who then placed a call to Zeke Walton.

"Zeke, what’s going on with you and Yvonne? I haven’t heard a peep since that dinner. Whether you’re interested or not, you could at least give me an answer. And why do I always have to be the one to call you?"

Zeke Walton was at the office dealing with work, and her question left him speechless.

"Mom, didn’t I make myself clear that night? Stay out of my business. I have my own plans. And stop trying to set me up with people, especially someone like Yvonne Thorne. Your standards are really slipping if you think that kind of trash is a good match. That’s all. I’m busy, gotta go."

Mrs. Walton hadn’t been this angry in a long time, but Zeke Walton’s tone made her blood boil.

"Is that any way to speak to your mother? What do you mean my standards are slipping? What do you mean, ’that kind of trash’? Yvonne Thorne might not be perfect, but she’s hardly terrible. I can understand if you’re not into her, but you can’t just refuse to look at all! Tell me what kind of woman you like, and I’ll find one for you. You’re not getting any younger; you can’t keep messing around like this."

"Mom, I already told you, I have my own plans. Stop worrying about it."

Mrs. Walton suppressed her fury. "I worked so hard to raise you, and now I can’t even ask about your personal life? What does ’I have my own plans’ even mean? What are these plans of yours? Go on. I’ll ’respect’ your decision. Tell me all about it."

Zeke Walton had no intention of telling her.

Growing up, he had heard his parents’ old-fashioned lectures about relationships far too many times.

The whole reason they had pushed him to marry Simone Vaughn was their belief that a marriage should be between social equals, a partnership for mutual advancement.

Amina had no degree and no family connections. His mother didn’t know the first thing about her and would surely object.

He decided to make it a done deal first. Once they had the marriage license, it would be too late for his parents to object.

"I’m not telling you. I’m busy right now. If you’re bored, go shopping or play mahjong. Just stop focusing on me."

Now Mrs. Walton was genuinely furious.

"Don’t think I don’t know what you’ve been up to! Your so-called ’own plans’—that’s just you messing around with that food delivery girl day in and day out, isn’t it? The news is all over our social circle. Everyone’s talking about it like it’s some big joke. Did you really think I wouldn’t find out?"

Zeke Walton was stunned.

He knew that bored people in their social circle were spreading wild rumors about him and Amina, but he had no idea his mother had heard them too.

’So she...’

"How did you find out? Which busybody with nothing better to do went running their mouth to you about me now?"

"It doesn’t matter who told me," Mrs. Walton shot back. "Just tell me if it’s true! Are you actually serious about this? You’re throwing away all these well-bred young ladies for a woman like *her*? Wasting your youth? Are you doing this on purpose just to anger me?"

’Of course she’d react like this,’ Zeke Walton thought.

"What do you mean, ’wasting my youth’? This is... Ugh, there’s no explaining it to you! Just stay out of my business. Stay home, relax, and when the time comes for you to have a grandchild, I’ll make sure you get one!"

With that, Zeke Walton hung up.

Mrs. Walton was so angry she could have died.

’When the time comes for her to have a grandchild, he’ll make sure she gets one?’

’That bastard! Does he really intend to marry that delivery girl? And have a child with her?’

’That girl seemed so simple and unassuming, like she knew her place. I thought a little pressure would be enough for her to take the hint and back off. But it turns out she’s cut from the same cloth as those two brothers of hers—just as clueless!’

"Tell them I’m not here, that I’m away on business. Have them come back another day!"

Then she gave the butler another order: "Prepare the car. I’m going to the young master’s downtown apartment."