As Feng Qiushi looked into his eyes, her hesitation gradually dissipated.

She nodded, withdrew her hand, and silently ladled the porridge into two bowls.

As the two sat down to eat, Feng Qiushi was still a little uneasy, and he moved his chopsticks very slowly.

The stand-in noticed her unease and put a piece of pickled vegetable into her bowl. "Eat up. There's nothing to be afraid of. I'm here."

After the meal, Feng Qiushi carried a bowl of porridge and two cornbread buns to the small hut.

Pushing open the door, Xu Mingli was sitting on the cold edge of the kang. When he saw her come in, he immediately opened his mouth to curse, but when he caught a glimpse of the stand-in following behind him, he swallowed the words that were on the tip of his tongue and only dared to glare at her with resentful eyes.

Feng Qiushi put the food on the ground and looked at his angry but speechless appearance, the last bit of fear in his heart disappeared.

It turns out he really was a paper tiger; he can no longer bully me like he used to.

She didn't say anything, turned around and walked out of the small house.

The moment the door closed, it felt as if all the grievances and fears of the past were locked inside.

The stand-in was standing in the living room waiting for her. Seeing the relaxed expression on her face, he smiled and said, "Are you relieved now? You don't have to be afraid of him anymore."

Feng Qiushi nodded, the sunlight from the window falling on her face, and for the first time she felt relaxed.

But she knew that everything she had now was built on lies and evil.

Like a guillotine hanging over your neck, you never know when it will finally fall...

After lunch, the stand-in changed into clean clothes and said to Feng Qiushi, "Come on, let me take you to town to shop for some fabric and snacks. Staying at home all the time is getting boring."

Feng Qiushi was stunned for a moment, "Then Chen An, he..."

"Why should we care about him?" He waved his hand dismissively. "He doesn't even dare to leave the courtyard now, afraid that people will see that his arm is crippled and expose him. We should just do what we need to do. Besides, I've been helping him out in the village these days, and the villagers have long assumed that Shen Anchang is like me. No one will suspect anything."

Feng Qiushi was still a little uneasy, but he was still pulled out the door by the stand-in.

Just as I reached the village entrance, I ran into Grandpa Li, who was returning with a hoe on his back.

The other person greeted him with a smile, "Teacher Shen, are you taking your wife to town?"

The stand-in answered skillfully, "Yes, Grandpa Li, just came back from the fields to buy something?"

"That's right, with this weather, we have to hurry up with spring plowing." Grandpa Li said a few words before leaving with a smile.

Along the way, villagers kept greeting them.

When Teacher Shen called out "Shen's daughter-in-law," Feng Qiushi was initially tense, but she gradually regained her composure and occasionally nodded in response to the stand-in, though her palms were always sweaty.

As they approached the military headquarters, Feng Qiushi suddenly caught a glimpse of a familiar figure out of the corner of his eye.

Xu Xinghe was carrying a cloth bag and walking along the roadside with a military wife, seemingly heading somewhere.

Feng Qiushi was so frightened that he froze, stopped in his tracks, and his face turned pale.

The stand-in immediately noticed her unusual behavior, followed her gaze to Xu Xinghe, quickly grasped her hand, and said in a voice only the two of them could hear, "Don't panic, don't act so guilty, just pretend you're passing by, she won't notice us."

As he spoke, he pulled Feng Qiushi along and deliberately raised his voice to talk to her, "We'll be in town soon. Let's go to the fabric shop and get you a new dress."

Feng Qiushi forced himself to calm down, lowered his head, and quickly followed the stand-in forward. He dared not glance at Xu Xinghe out of the corner of his eye, but his heart was pounding in his throat, afraid that he would be seen through.

Just when I thought I was right, I heard Xu Xinghe's voice from behind me before I had taken two steps.

"Teacher Shen, Sister-in-law Feng, are you going to town?"

Feng Qiushi's body stiffened even more instantly. The stand-in immediately turned around, a natural smile plastered on his face. "It's Comrade Xu. Yes, take Qiushi to town to buy some things."

Xu Xinghe walked over, her gaze falling on Feng Qiushi's face, her brows furrowing slightly. "Sister-in-law Feng, you don't look too well. Are you sick? The weather is unpredictable in spring. If you're not feeling well, you should go to the clinic to get checked out. Don't try to tough it out."

Feng Qiushi opened his mouth, but couldn't say anything for a long time, and his palms were sweating even more.

The stand-in quickly chimed in, "Thank you for your concern, Comrade Xu. She's just been having trouble sleeping lately, and her complexion is a bit off. She's going to town this time to get some sleep aids and get some treatment. You know the conditions at the village clinic."

Xu Xinghe nodded and didn't ask any more questions. She just smiled and said, "Then you all go ahead and get busy. Be careful on the road. I still need to deliver some local specialties from Shanghai to the aunties, so I won't keep you any longer."

"Okay, Comrade Xu, you're busy too." The stand-in nodded with a smile, then pulled Feng Qiushi around and continued walking towards the town.

Only after walking far away and disappearing from sight of Xu Xinghe did Feng Qiushi finally breathe a long sigh of relief, his tense body finally relaxing, his back soaked with cold sweat.

"Don't be afraid, she didn't suspect anything." The stand-in patted the back of her hand, his tone gentler than before. "Oh, right, I forgot to tell you, my real name is Zhang Qiang, I live in town, and my family is of average means."

Feng Qiushi paused, then looked up at him, "Zhang Qiang..."

This was the first time she had learned his real name, and she felt a strange sense of unfamiliarity.

Zhang Qiang smiled and said, "Don't be surprised. I've been acting as Shen An's double all this time, so it's time for you to know my real name. My house is right in front of town. I live alone now, and it's pretty clean. Let's rest for a bit before we go shopping."

Feng Qiushi hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

She followed Zhang Qiang into a small alley and soon arrived at a small courtyard.

Pushing open the courtyard gate, you'll see several fruit trees planted inside. The courtyard is neat and tidy, with a more lived-in feel than Xu Mingli's house.

Feng Qiushi stood at the gate of the courtyard, looking at the unfamiliar courtyard, feeling a mix of emotions.

She never imagined that she would end up at the home of a man she had only known for a short time...

But now, this person has become her closest partner.

Perhaps, this was the only light she could grasp in the darkness...