A Second Chance to Save My Daughter

Chapter 004

Molly's face was utterly cold. Even hearing her daughter's explanation, her expression didn't soften in the slightest.

She stared at Warren with eyes like ice, devoid of any emotional ripple.

She would never believe a single word from Warren's mouth again.

"I know I was wrong, Molly. I swear I'll change! I'll treat you both right from now on!"

"I'll never drink or gamble again, you have to believe me!"

"I just had the most terrifying dream. I dreamed you and our daughter were gone, and I was all alone."

Warren's expression carried an unprecedented firmness, even a trace of savage determination.

His eyes were bloodshot and red from the intensity of his emotion.

The physical discomfort from waking after excessive drinking twisted his face into something almost grotesque, yet the oath he swore rang with genuine sincerity.

"From this day forward, if I ever drink or gamble again, let me die without a burial place!"

But Molly remained cold and indifferent. She didn't even glance at Warren.

Holding her daughter, she turned and walked out.

The dilapidated kitchen contained only a single iron pot with a chipped rim.

The stove was falling apart, though it had been kept scrupulously clean.

Inside the pot, bubbling with faint wisps of steam, was nothing but watery rice broth with barely any substance to it.

The grains of rice were so sparse you could count them.

As for vegetables, there were none at all.

Bitter cold, a ramshackle house, thin watery food.

Warren's vision went dark. He couldn't bear to imagine that even with a man in the household, his wife and child could only drink thin gruel.

"This... this is what you eat?"

Warren clung to a shred of hope. He searched through the broken-down kitchen and found only two bowls of last year's rice remaining.

A flash of mockery flickered through Molly's beautiful eyes.

She picked out most of the rice to give to Warren's mother, who lay dazed and unwell in her room. The remainder went to her daughter.

As for herself, she drank only the thin, watery liquid to barely fill her stomach.

"What did you expect? How much grain do you think is left in this house?"

"Didn't you take all the money for drinking and gambling? Smell the alcohol on yourself. That money was supposed to be rations for our child and our family for half a month."

"You're the one who caused all of this, aren't you?"

Warren saw the coldness in Molly's eyes. He also saw the sorrow.

Young as she was, Molly had already grown haggard beyond her years.

Her once delicate hands were now covered in chilblains and rough marks from hard labor.

Her beautiful face bore the numbness and roughness left by a difficult life.

Warren's heart ached as though pierced by needles.

A bitter wind seemed to cut through his chest, making a hollow, mournful sound.

He took a deep breath and touched his child's thin little face.

With effort, he forced out a smile.

"Daisy, be good and eat with Mommy. Daddy's going out for a bit. I'll be right back."

"Then Daddy has to come back soon. Daisy will be a good girl and wait for Daddy."

The small child was remarkably sensible. Seeing her mother busy, she sat herself down on the broken threshold.

Warren feared that if he stayed any longer, he wouldn't be able to leave his lost and found daughter and wife. He strode away quickly.

After leaving, Warren made his way to a remote, desolate area.

He looked around carefully, confirming no one was nearby.

Then he swiftly slipped into his pocket dimension.

The moment he entered the pocket dimension, Warren took a deep, comfortable breath.

Before his eyes lay an acre-sized enchanted garden. Right in the center of the field was a spring.

Water bubbled steadily from the spring, surrounded by swirling white mist.

Warren crossed to the spring in a few strides, shock flooding his eyes.

Just then, the system's cold prompt suddenly sounded.

"The Healing Spring is gifted by the system. Its effects are remarkable. It can gradually cure various stubborn ailments and also accelerate the growth of all types of crops."

Hearing this, Warren's spirits soared.

He quickly found a small cup and scooped up a bit of water from the Healing Spring, then exited the pocket dimension.

Molly and their daughter were still waiting at home for a meal. Warren didn't dare delay even a moment.

He grabbed a few stalks of wild greens at random and soaked them in the Healing Spring water.

The next moment, the sight before him left Warren utterly stunned.

The wild greens he'd tossed into the Healing Spring just seconds ago had suddenly become fresh, verdant, and crisp, looking immediately appetizing.

This was winter! The wild greens on the mountain were nearly all withered and yellow!

The leaves were lush and spread wide. These few stalks would be enough for his family to have a full meal.

Warren tucked the wild greens into his coat. On his way back, he reached into a nearby pheasant nest and grabbed two eggs, then hurried home.

At home, Molly was holding a bowl of porridge, clear as water, trying to feed it to Daisy.

"Mama, I'm hungry."

Though Daisy was a sensible child, she couldn't suppress her hunger. Her face was full of grievance as she spoke.

Hearing this, Molly's heart twisted painfully.

It was all her own uselessness. Her daughter couldn't even eat her fill.

Just then, Warren pushed the door open and returned. Seeing the scene, he quickly took the bowl of porridge from Molly's hands.

"What are you doing?"

Though Molly had long since fallen into despair, anger flared up in her now. She stood and said loudly, "Are you going to steal the child's rations now too?"

Hearing this, Warren gave a bitter smile.

He knew Molly had misunderstood, but it was ultimately because he'd been such a wretch in the past.

Warren pulled the two eggs from his coat and said, "I just went and found two wild eggs. Let Daisy eat eggs in a bit."

With that, he hurried into the kitchen.

Looking at the meager ingredients in the kitchen, Warren sighed helplessly.

In his previous life, he hadn't thought anything of it. Now, seeing it clearly, he owed his wife and daughter far too much.

He quickly found half a scallion and chopped it into bits. Oil heated in the pan with a sizzling sound, releasing a fragrant aroma.

As the egg mixture poured into the pan, a rich, savory egg fragrance filled the air.

Molly had been holding her daughter, softly soothing her. Now Daisy caught the scent and fussed for her mother to carry her to the kitchen.

Watching Warren's busy figure, Molly let out a cold laugh.

Back in college, she'd known Warren's family was poor and that he was diligent with household chores.

But after Warren's leg was crippled, he became utterly despondent, too lazy even to tidy his own bedding.

This was the first time Molly had seen Warren cook.

Molly laughed coldly, thinking to herself that she simply hadn't been worth his effort in the kitchen before.

Warren worked quickly, preparing an egg fritter. He cut it into small squares the size of a fingertip and brought it to the dining table.

Daisy had never eaten such good food since she was born. Her appetite opened immediately.

"Daddy's cooking is so good!"

"The last time I had eggs was on Harvest Festival!"

Daisy's mouth was full of the fragrant egg flavor. She said indistinctly, "It's so delicious!"

Watching Daisy's beaming face, Warren's heart ached.

Daisy had been born in winter. Her birthday was in just half a month.

His poor daughter. Three or four months had passed before she could eat a single bite of egg.

Thinking of this, Warren hated his own despondency even more deeply.

Just then, Daisy's thin little hand poked at the back of Warren's hand.

She lifted her spoon with effort, holding it to Warren's lips, and said, "Daddy, eat quickly. Daddy hasn't eaten either!"