A Second Chance to Save My Daughter

Chapter 008

When the villagers nearby caught sight of Warren, a flicker of veiled contempt passed through their eyes.

The man who had dug up the bamboo roots frowned, set his handcart down in front of Warren, and said, "If you want it, take it. Then bring the cart back to my house."

Without waiting for a response, the man turned and walked away.

The others glanced at Warren, shook their heads with disdain, and dispersed.

Warren let out a helpless sigh and pushed the handcart toward home.

That man was Sidney Pendleton, a distant uncle who had helped Warren considerably when he was still in school. But over the years, as Warren spiraled deeper into his wastrel ways, Sidney's disappointment had only grown.

Warren pushed the cart to a secluded spot before transferring everything into his pocket dimension.

He made his way to the village convenience store, planning to buy two packs of cigarettes.

"No money, no service. No credit," the shopkeeper said the moment he saw Warren, his brow furrowing. "You just cleared your tab the day before yesterday. Don't even think about running one up again."

Hearing that, Warren felt another pang of shame at the mess he'd made of his life.

He pulled out a ten-dollar bill. "Two packs of cigarettes, four bottles of soda, and a pound of pastries."

The shopkeeper's eyes widened at the sight of cash in Warren's hand. He snatched the bill quickly, held it up to the light to check its authenticity, and only then began bagging the items.

Warren carried the goods, pushed the handcart back, and knocked on Sidney's door.

When Sidney opened it and saw Warren, a trace of helplessness crossed his face, but he stepped aside to let him in.

"Uncle, I'm here to return your cart," Warren said with a smile, pushing the handcart into the courtyard. He handed over the items he'd just bought. "Those bamboo roots came in handy. I couldn't just take them for nothing."

Sidney frowned at the sight of the goods. "What are you doing bringing these? Your family's already struggling. Take them back and let Molly and Daisy eat them."

Warren felt a warmth rise in his chest. "I've been picking up some work these past few days. I'm making a little money. We've got food at home."

"Uncle, please keep them."

Sidney sighed, reluctantly accepting the items. His tone softened into something more earnest. "You're in your twenties now. You've got a wife and a daughter. It's time to live properly."

"Stop running around every day drinking and playing cards with those useless friends of yours."

He gently pushed Warren toward the door. "It's getting dark. Those two are home alone, and that's not safe. Get back to them."

Warren left with a bitter smile and headed home.

Everything Sidney had said was heartfelt advice. The old Warren might not have listened, but the man he was now understood the depth of care behind those words.

Warren had wasted years drifting through life, and everyone had learned to keep their distance. Even Molly had grown cold toward him over time. Only Sidney, despite being furious at Warren's behavior and unable to hide his frustration, still took the time to offer a few words whenever they crossed paths.

Warren sighed as he stopped outside Molly's door and knocked.

Years of emotional distance had turned husband and wife into strangers.

Molly sat on the bed, knitting a small sky-blue sweater under the faint glow of a dim lamp. Daisy had already fallen asleep, a faint smile lingering on her face.

Warren reached out and gently touched Daisy's cheek. "I also bought some white yarn. You can knit a little rabbit onto it for her."

Molly hesitated.

The yarn Warren had brought back this time was pure wool, absurdly expensive. She had originally planned to use the leftover yarn to knit Daisy a hat.

Sensing her hesitation, Warren said, "Don't worry about wasting the yarn. I'll go out and pick up more work tomorrow. Things are going to get better for us. Slowly, but they will."

He looked directly into Molly's eyes, his gaze steady and sincere.

Molly hadn't yet voiced any intention to leave, but Warren knew the thought had already taken root in her mind. He couldn't say it outright. All he could do was show her, piece by piece, that he meant what he said.

Words were empty. Action was everything.

Seeing the determination in Warren's eyes, Molly felt a flicker of something she couldn't quite name. They'd been married for years. Daisy was over two years old now. This man had been a wreck for so long. Could he really be trusted?

After a long pause, Molly slowly nodded.

Warren's heart surged with hope.

He knew Molly's feelings wouldn't change overnight. Two days of effort couldn't undo years of disappointment. But there was still time. As long as he kept proving himself, Molly would stay.

He returned to his own room in high spirits, slipping into his pocket dimension to check on the seeds he'd planted and soak the bamboo roots in water.

Meanwhile, Molly continued knitting for a while, then suddenly turned to look at her sleeping daughter. She gathered Daisy into her arms, her expression shifting through a dozen unreadable emotions.

"Daisy," she murmured softly, the coldness in her eyes melting into something gentler. "You don't want Mama to leave, do you? Your daddy's changed... but how long can he keep it up?"

"Maybe she could give him a little more time."

She trailed off, holding her daughter close as they drifted off to sleep together.

The next morning, Warren rose early. He gathered every burlap sack in the house and stepped into his pocket dimension to begin harvesting.

What he saw stopped him in his tracks.

The bamboo roots he'd planted the day before had already sprouted and taken hold. In the span of a single night, they had grown into a lush, verdant grove. Across the ground, dozens of bamboo shoots had begun pushing through the soil.

Warren's face lit up with excitement. He grabbed his tools and got to work.

Half an hour later, he emerged from the pocket dimension, thoroughly satisfied.

At the entrance to the Redharrow market, Warren set up his stall in the same spot as before. While it was still early and the crowd was thin, he laid out the bamboo shoots he'd just harvested, along with the tomatoes and other shoots he'd planted the day before.

"Hey there, buddy."

The vendor from the neighboring stall arrived and grinned when he saw Warren. "You're here early again today."

Warren smiled and pulled a pack of cigarettes from his jacket, sliding it over. "I was in such a rush yesterday, I didn't even get a chance to say hello properly."

Warren wasn't bad-looking, and now that he'd cleaned himself up a bit, he came across as warm and approachable.

The vendor chuckled and waved him off. "You're being too polite. Did you bring a scale and bags today? Looks like you're selling by weight this time."

Warren nodded. After selling out yesterday, he'd gone straight to buy a scale and a stack of plastic bags.

"Here, take it," Warren said, pressing the cigarette pack into the vendor's hand. "I'm new around here, probably won't last long on my own. I'd really appreciate any help you can give me."

The vendor felt a little awkward accepting the gift, so he leaned in and said quietly, "You know Redharrow's in a special spot, right? Poor as dirt, but it's a transit hub on the way to the city. If you can get your hands on some specialty vegetables from down south and sell them at the wholesale market, you could make serious money."

"Redharrow grows out-of-season vegetables, sure, but it's all the usual stuff. Southern produce? I hardly ever see it around here."

He grinned. "You get what I'm saying?"

Warren's eyes lit up.