Three hours later, the rain stopped, and just as Sophia was about to go out to buy peaches, someone knocked on her door.
She opened it to find a man standing there, dressed in a thin suit, holding a black umbrella.
Sophia was stunned. “Weren’t you supposed to come back tomorrow?”
Livinus handed her a plastic bag. “You said you wanted peaches, so I brought them to you.”
His tone was casual, as if this was an ordinary thing.
But Sophia froze.
He had driven for hours in the rain, all the way from the neighboring city, just to bring her peaches?
“You…”
This wasn’t like him. He was always composed and rational, rarely acting on impulse. Yet now, just to bring her a few peaches, he had done something so out of character.
“Why didn’t you just ask someone else to send them to me?”
Livinus’s lips curved slightly. Rainwater dripped from his brows as he said in a deep voice:
“Someone else could have delivered the peaches, but some things… no one else can replace.”
Sophia smiled as she peeled a peach.
“Today’s peaches are really sweet.”
“Really?” Livinus took a bite and immediately frowned. “Do pregnant women have a different sense of taste?”
The peach was unbearably sour. He had bought it from a roadside fruit stand on his way over, without ensuring the flavor.
Sophia smiled. “It’s really sweet—sweet in my heart.”
They ate for a while and then started talking about Andrea. Livinus hadn’t expected her to go looking for Sophia and simply said:
“Ignore her. She should know her place by now. You’re no longer her daughter-in-law.”
“She even gave me money.”
“You took it?”
“Why not? It would’ve been a waste not to.”
“How much?”
Sophia pondered. “Twenty million. Honestly, I think your Scott family is really stingy. Trying to get rid of me for just twenty million? They must think too little of me.”
Livinus bit her earlobe and growled, “So I’m only worth that much?”
“Of course not, you’re worth much more. That’s why I thought the amount was too low.”
“…” He paused, then smirked. “Next time, ask for more.”
“Got it!”
—
Andrea reported the matter to the old master, making Sophia sound as terrible as possible.
“I’m telling you, she did this on purpose! She wants revenge on us. Since Henry divorced her, she decided to cling to his uncle to punish us. Dad, you absolutely must not let her marry into the Scott family. That woman is nothing but trouble.”
The old master sat with a stern expression, frowning. “She accepted the money?”
“Yes, but she said she only guaranteed her own departure, not whether his uncle would leave her.”
“Has the check been cashed?”
“No.” Andrea seized the moment and added, “Old Master, his uncle has been deceived by her. You must help him get rid of this problem.”
The old master shot her a cold glance. “I don’t need you to tell me what to do.”
Andrea didn’t dare say another word and left expressionlessly.
—
The next day, the old master climbed the mountain path. The road was difficult, still slippery from the rain.
His assistant supported him as he walked. After a short distance, they saw a long line of people standing ahead.
“What are these people waiting for?” he asked.
“I’ll go find out.”
The assistant soon returned, looking somewhat bemused. “Apparently, they’re waiting to get an appointment with Doctor Smith. They say she’s a miracle doctor, and her appointments are extremely hard to get. Some families take turns waiting in line just for a chance to see her. Some even brought pots and pans, and others set up tents to cook hot pot while waiting.”
“Really?” The old master frowned.
He recalled that Sophia’s grandfather had been quite skilled in medicine. He had once drunk the old man’s herbal tea and had been amazed, even wanting to buy the formula. But the old man had refused, and from that moment, he had gained a certain respect for the Smith family’s integrity.
However, in his memory, Sophia had no such medical skills. She frequently failed exams, was unremarkable in school, and had never treated anyone. In fact, during her hospital internship, she had been dismissed early.
Though he never spoke of it, he had been well aware of these things.
So how had Sophia, in such a short time, opened a medical clinic with so many people lining up for her?
“When did she open this clinic?” he asked.
“Apparently, right around the time she got divorced,” the assistant replied, glancing at his expression.
The old master said nothing. So after the divorce, with nothing else to do, she had returned to her family’s profession and opened a traditional medicine clinic.
That must not have been easy for her.
—
Sophia was in the middle of treating a patient when she noticed two men enter. A quick glance confirmed that it was the old master being helped inside.
“I wonder if Doctor Smith has a moment to spare for an old man like me to have a chat?” he asked.
Sophia was about to reply when a young girl clutched her stomach and stumbled in. The moment the person supporting her let go, she collapsed to the floor, writhing in pain.
