My happy life in a courtyard house with triplets.

Chapter 290: Grandma Liu Lan Passes Away

Although everyone felt sorry for Liu Lan, it was ultimately someone else's family matter, so they didn't want to interfere too much. After offering Liu Lan a few words of comfort, they all left.

Life had to go on. Clutching the 10 yuan in her hand, Liu Lan bought some rice, noodles, vegetables, and even a small piece of meat, thinking she'd give her mother-in-law some extra nutrition. Soon, the aroma of food filled the house. Liu Lan's mother-in-law watched her busy figure and said softly, "Liu Lan, you've worked hard. Sit down and rest for a while." Liu Lan turned to look at her mother-in-law and smiled, saying, "Mom, I'm not tired."

The meal was quickly prepared, and Liu Lan placed the meat into her mother-in-law's bowl. Her mother-in-law looked at the meat without the slightest disgust, and instead ate it bite by bite, as if she had made up her mind. Seeing her mother-in-law finish the meat completely, Liu Lan was overjoyed; her mother-in-law hadn't eaten so much in a long time.

After clearing away the dishes, Liu Lan brought over hot water and carefully wiped her mother-in-law's body until she fell asleep. Only then did she return to her own room to rest.

The next morning, Liu Lan got up to make breakfast for her mother-in-law, but as soon as she pushed open her mother-in-law's door, she was startled by the scene before her. A scream escaped her lips, waking everyone in the courtyard. She rushed over and hugged her mother-in-law, crying out, "Mom, wake up! What's wrong? What's wrong? Wake up!"

Neighbors who heard the commotion rushed over and were all incredulous at the scene inside. The person was perfectly fine yesterday; how could they suddenly be gone? The person in charge, Grandpa Zhang, looked at the scene before him, sighed heavily, and instructed those around him, "Go and call the neighborhood committee; I'm going to call the police." Upon hearing this, everyone quickly split up and ran outside.

Before long, people from the neighborhood committee and the police arrived. Looking at the scene inside the house and then at Liu Lan, who was crying her eyes out, one of the people from the neighborhood committee gently comforted her: "Try to think positively. Death is the most important thing. Let the old woman rest in peace as soon as possible."

Liu Lan suddenly raised her head, looking at the people from the neighborhood committee and the police, her anger mixed with pleading: "Please, help me! It's Ma Kui, that damned Ma Kui! He stole the money I gave for my mother-in-law's medical treatment, that's why my mother-in-law couldn't think straight!"

Hearing Liu Lan's words, everyone present was enraged. The street office staff looked at her and asked seriously, "Are you sure you want to sue your man?" Liu Lan nodded vigorously, her eyes red as she roared, "I'll sue him! I'll fight him to the death! He's a beast, a beast worse than a pig or a dog! He even gambled away his own mother's medical money!"

The police then visited the surrounding neighbors and checked Liu Lan's family situation, and soon sent people to arrest Ma Kui.

Everyone in the courtyard sighed repeatedly. No one expected that Liu Lan's mother-in-law, after enduring so many years, would end up like this.

Soon, the police found Ma Kui still out there, enjoying himself. Upon seeing the police, Ma Kui turned and ran. Seeing his reaction, the police immediately concluded he was hiding something and raised their guns, signaling, "Ma Kui, if you run again, I'll shoot!"

Upon hearing that they were going to shoot, Ma Kui was so frightened that he knelt down with a thud, raising his hands high: "Don't shoot! Don't shoot!" The police stepped forward and handcuffed him immediately.

When Ma Kui was brought back to the courtyard, Liu Lan immediately rushed at him like a madwoman, grabbing, hitting, and cursing. Ma Kui, bewildered by the attack, roared angrily, "Liu Lan, stop! Are you crazy?"

Liu Lan, her eyes red, roared, "Yes, I've gone mad! You drove me mad!"

The police officer next to her quickly pulled Liu Lan away: "Comrade Liu Lan, we understand how you feel, but now you need to come with us to the police station to give your statement."

Liu Lan glanced back into the room, her voice choked with emotion, "But my mother-in-law..."

The neighborhood committee staff quickly reassured him, "Don't worry, we'll take care of your mother-in-law's funeral arrangements for now, and we'll deal with the rest when you come back."

Just as she was about to leave, Liu Lan suddenly saw a familiar figure appear at the courtyard gate. She was startled and exclaimed incredulously, "Nanjing University of the Arts? What are you doing here?"

Nan Yi looked at the police and neighborhood committee members in the courtyard with a worried expression: "I heard you didn't go to work, and I was afraid something had happened to you, so I came to check on you. This is..."

Liu Lan lowered her head, her voice low and somber: "Something happened at home, I'm sorry to trouble you."

Seeing this, Nan Yi didn't ask any more questions, only saying that she would accompany her to find out what had happened.

Upon arriving at the police station, Ma Kui was immediately intimidated by the officers. He spilled everything on the spot, even admitting to petty theft as a child. The interrogating officers frowned as they listened, thinking he was nothing short of a beast.

Meanwhile, Liu Lan also recounted the whole story in the interrogation room, repeatedly denouncing Ma Kui's evil deeds.

Nanjing University of the Arts waited outside the police station for Liu Lan to come out.

The police officer handed the statement to the station chief, who, after reviewing Ma Kui's record, immediately ordered: "Lock this guy up first! Let Liu Lan go home to handle her mother-in-law's funeral. As for her divorce, let the neighborhood committee intervene; they're the experts in this kind of thing."

Nanjing University of the Arts, who were anxiously waiting at the entrance, immediately went up to Liu Lan as soon as she came out: "Liu Lan, how are you?"

Liu Lan was pale and expressionless: "Thank you, Nanjing University of the Arts, I'm fine."

"I've heard about what happened to you. Please accept my condolences." Nan Yi looked at her with heartache.

Liu Lan instantly seemed to have found her pillar of support, grabbing Nanjing University of the Arts and crying, "Nanjing University of the Arts, what should I do?"

Nan Yi looked at her steadily: "What do you want to do?"

Liu Lan cried for a while, then gradually calmed down: "I've already told the police station that I want a divorce from Ma Kui, and I'm going to sue him!"

Nanjing University of the Arts immediately nodded: "Okay, if you want a divorce, if you want to sue, then we'll get a divorce and sue. If there's anything I can help you with, just let me know."

The two talked as they returned to the courtyard house together.

The neighborhood committee staff and Grandpa Zhang had already helped the neighbors tidy up. Seeing this, Nan Yi took out some money and gave it to the steward to help buy a coffin for Liu Lan's mother-in-law.

Liu Lan's family was already heavily in debt and couldn't afford a grand funeral. With the help of the neighborhood committee and neighbors, Liu Lan's mother-in-law was finally laid to rest.

Once the matter was settled, Liu Lan seemed to have lost all her energy. She sat there blankly, neither eating nor drinking nor speaking.

Nan Yi saw this and felt heartbroken. She went out and bought meat and vegetables, made a pot of soup for her, and brought it to her. But Liu Lan remained motionless.

Nan Yi gently patted her shoulder and said in a deep voice, "Liu Lan, think about whether your mother-in-law died unjustly or not. Think about that bastard Ma Kui. If you don't eat your fill, how will you have the strength to sue him? How will you have the strength to divorce him? If you exhaust yourself, who will seek justice for you? Won't he get away with it even more?"

These words were like a warm fire, waking Liu Lan up. She looked at Nanjing University of the Arts and nodded: "Thank you, Nanjing University of the Arts."

"Drink it quickly."

Liu Lan took a sip of the soup and felt warm all over.