During her spare time between treating patients, Sophia prepared another batch of paste. This time, before the paste was even done cooking, it was snapped up by people who had tried her samples.
“This is so delicious! It tastes great and is really effective!”
“Dr. Smith, you’re truly amazing. Even the food you make can improve health!”
“I’ve only taken it for a few days, and my low energy has improved significantly. This time, during my period, I didn’t feel any abdominal pain.”
“Dr. Smith, is this suitable for pregnant women?”
Sophia smiled and replied, “Pregnant women can start taking it after three months. Since it contains a bit of rice wine, it’s better not to take it during early pregnancy.”
“Oh! My sister-in-law is six months pregnant. I’ll buy some for her.”
“That’s fine. Pregnant women can take it to nourish their bodies. Even if they lose a lot of blood during childbirth, their recovery won’t be too difficult.”
“Great, give me two bags. I’ll gift one to her.”
“I’ll take one bag!”
“I want one too!”
Before she realized it, the day’s batch was completely sold out. When Peace arrived, she saw a crowd gathered around the pot.
“Dr. Smith, please give me a bag!” Peace pleaded.
Sophia apologized, “It’s all gone.”
“All gone? Sold out already?” Peace was stunned, finding it hard to believe.
Though $1000 per bag wasn’t overly expensive, it wasn’t cheap either. She couldn’t understand why everyone was so eager to buy it, almost as if it were free.
“Obviously, you’re not the only one who knows its benefits. Others do too!”
“Exactly. Weren’t you the one promoting it to Dr. Smith? Now you’re upset because it sold out quickly?”
Peace laughed helplessly. “If I’d known it would sell this well, I would’ve kept quiet about its effectiveness.”
Everyone laughed. “Why are you here to buy more?”
“Don’t even mention it! My daughter had menstrual cramps a few days ago. After seeing how effective this was for me, she started taking it too. Surprisingly, not only did her cramps go away, but her period also seemed smoother. She finished my supply, so I had no choice but to come back for more.”
The buyers chuckled, those who had secured their bags feeling fortunate, while those who missed out regretted not acting sooner.
Peace asked, “Could anyone spare me half a bag? Please, as a favor!”
But everyone shook their heads in unison. “No way! It’s so hard to get. If I give you some, I might not be able to buy more later.”
“Exactly!”
Hearing this, Peace could only smile bitterly. Who would have thought this small clinic in such a remote location would be so popular? Even with the tonic priced at $1000 a bag, it was still impossible to buy! It was truly exhausting.
As she looked around, she noticed that although Sophia only accepted 30 patients daily, there were 70 to 80 people gathered outside the clinic. Most were there to secure a number for the next day. The problem was, registration for the next day’s appointments would only open the following morning. Yet these people were already waiting, showing how sought-after Dr. Smith’s appointments were!
—
At that moment, a man walked into the clinic, and Sophia glanced at him.
“What symptoms are you experiencing?”
The man sighed and spoke softly, “Doctor, I feel weak all over, my heart often races, I have difficulty breathing, and I get severe headaches. Sometimes my stomach hurts too. The strange thing is I eat a lot, but it doesn’t seem to get absorbed. I always feel tired.”
“Let me take your pulse,” Sophia said, touching his wrist. Her eyebrows furrowed slightly.
The man’s pulse was weak, and his complexion pale. He didn’t look well.
“How’s your appetite?”
“I can eat two bowls of food per meal, but I feel uncomfortable afterward. I want to vomit and still have no energy. I don’t know why.”
“Stick out your tongue,” Sophia instructed.
After examining his tongue, she fell into deep thought.
Logically, someone who eats a lot should absorb nutrients well. Yet his digestive system seemed fine, and his body remained thin. Coupled with the nausea and lack of nutrient absorption, there was clearly an issue with his digestive function.
After thinking for a moment, Sophia asked, “Have you been to the hospital for a checkup?”
“Yes.”
“What did the doctor say?”
“They said I might have eaten something bad or that my stomach is weak, so they prescribed some medication. But it didn’t help.”
As Sophia had suspected, it wasn’t a stomach issue. “Have you had your stool tested?”
“Stool?”
The man shook his head. Though he often felt nauseated, his bowel movements were normal—if anything, he went more frequently than most people. He hadn’t considered it might be related.
“No.”
Sophia paused, then smiled. “In that case, I’ll prescribe some medicine. If my guess is correct, you’ll see results by tomorrow. Call me then.”
“Alright.”
The man took the prescription and read it aloud: “Areca nut, pumpkin seeds, sodium sulfate, bitter orange… Doctor, what kind of prescription is this?”
Sophia closed the medical record and replied, “It’s a deworming treatment.”
“Deworming?” The man froze and frowned. “Are you sure? I recently took a deworming pill, and it didn’t work. Besides, I don’t have any skin blemishes. How could I have parasites?”
“You’ll know tomorrow,” Sophia replied, adding, “If you do expel worms, make sure to collect them, clean them, and send them to the hospital for testing. Later, you’ll need another stool test to check for eggs. If there are still eggs, it means some parasites remain, and you’ll need another dose.”
The man was taken aback, feeling confused and skeptical. The idea of using traditional medicine for deworming seemed absurd. Why not just use effective modern medicine? And why go through all this trouble?
Seeing his doubt, Sophia smiled. “Go ahead. If you see worms tomorrow, don’t panic. Just make sure to collect and store them properly.”
The man shivered, still doubtful, and left hesitantly.
—
Early the next morning, Sophia received a call just after her run. On the other end, the man sounded panicked:
“Dr. Smith… Sophia! I actually expelled a bunch of worms! I looked it up online—they’re tapeworms! And they’re so long. I measured them, and they’re at least eight meters!”
“…Did you actually measure them?” Sophia asked, speechless.
“Yes! You told me to collect and preserve them for testing. I was scared and curious, so I measured them. I didn’t realize they’d be this long.”
