There was a faint fragrance in the air.
It suddenly felt like she had missed out on the world all this time—realizing that true air had this kind of smell.
“Sophia, how many more treatments do I need before I’m fully cured?”
Sophia inserted needles around her nose and replied, “Just keep inhaling the medicinal powder I gave you on time. It should be fine. I’ll call you in to do more acupuncture when I’m free. If all goes well, your nasal inflammation won’t relapse.”
Nancy was thrilled and hugged her playfully. “You’re truly one of us, Smiths! Your medical skills are amazing! Once I’m fully healed, I’ll introduce more clients to you.”
Sophia smiled in response, accepting her gesture.
The clinic had been closed for several days, and she couldn’t shake her concern for it. But when she came to open it, she realized there weren’t many customers.
Forget about people outside—even the streets nearby were empty.
How bleak.
“Sophia, this won’t do. If you open in such a secluded place, no one’s going to come.”
“It’s fine.”
Sophia was confident. In her past life, she liked living on a mountain, growing her own herbs, weaving cloth to make her own clothes, and gathering firewood for cooking. Her herbal clinic had also been in a very remote area, yet business thrived. Many customers visited daily, and luxury cars were often parked outside, creating a scene. Perhaps because herbal practitioners tend to have a calm demeanor, Sophia wasn’t in a hurry.
“Those who believe will travel far and wide; those who don’t, won’t come even if they live next door,” Sophia said.
“You…”
As they spoke, the overcast sky suddenly thundered. After a few rumbles, large raindrops began pouring down. Sophia quickly retrieved the herbs left outside.
“Why did it start raining so heavily all of a sudden?” Nancy wondered.
“It seems you won’t be heading back anytime soon.”
“I’m not in a rush. I actually planned to stay with you. Wouldn’t you be bored without me here?”
Sophia chuckled. She wasn’t bored, actually, as she suddenly noticed that the few vacant plots of land nearby belonged to the Smith family. These plots were all unused and didn’t even have tea plants. What a waste. She thought it might be better to plant some vegetables and herbs someday. After all, once divorced, she could come here to live peacefully, growing vegetables and cooking every day, leading a self-sufficient, happy life!
Just as she was thinking, a group of people suddenly ran in, shaking off the rain and laughing. “Please, do you mind if we take shelter here?”
Sophia nodded.
The leading woman saw the herbal cabinets inside and was surprised, “Is this an herbal clinic?”
“This rain won’t stop anytime soon. How about I check out some herbs? Young lady, go fetch your doctor; I’d like a consultation.”
Sophia glanced at them and then took a seat. “I’m the doctor.”
The group exchanged looks, surprised expressions on their faces. Such a young girl treating patients? No wonder she opened her clinic in such a secluded place—probably not many would come.
They laughed politely, but none of them stepped forward, clearly doubting Sophia’s skills.
After a while, the middle-aged woman held out her hands and feet, laughing. “Doctor, let me ask you: I have these warts growing on my hands and feet. Is there any herbal remedy to get rid of them?”
“There is.” Sophia opened her thermos and took a sip of tea, saying, “Three doses of herbal medicine will remove the warts. But I noticed that these warts on your hands and feet seem to have appeared recently?”
“Yes, about two months ago. I don’t know why, but they’ve spread all over my hands!”
Sophia glanced at them without a word.
Warts are often caused by excess internal toxins or heat. Though they can be attributed to external viral infections, most cases result from an overload of internal heat toxins, manifesting as an excess of liver energy, which surfaces on the skin as warts. They start out as small as a pinhead but can grow to the size of soybeans, causing no pain but often appearing in clusters. Modern medicine can remove them with laser treatments, but these only address the symptoms, not the root.
All skin diseases originate from imbalances in the internal organs or disturbances in blood flow and energy. They should never be treated solely on the surface. If warts are caused by an excess of internal toxins, simply removing them will likely result in their recurrence. Without eliminating the toxins, other symptoms may also arise.
Thus, warts are neither a serious problem nor a trivial one.
Sophia silently placed a chair under the eaves and instructed the woman, “Sit down, take off your shoes, and let your feet soak in the rain.”
The woman paused, surprised, while the others exchanged puzzled glances.
“Are we washing feet in rainwater? Then applying some ointment?”
Everyone was baffled by Sophia’s unusual method.
The woman sat down, and Sophia continued, “Wash your hands in the rain too; give them a good soak.”
Everyone wore a bewildered expression, including Nancy. “Sophia, why soak in rainwater?”
“You’ll understand soon enough!”
The rain lasted over an hour, and as it stopped, the sky cleared. The people who had taken shelter prepared to leave. The woman sitting on the chair looked at her hands and feet, shaking her head.
“Doctor, the warts are still there. Your method doesn’t work. I knew it—how could rainwater possibly treat warts?”
She started to dry her feet with a tissue, but as soon as she lightly brushed against them, the warts on her feet unexpectedly fell to the ground, and there were no scars where they had detached. The sight startled her.
“Oh! Doctor! How did my warts fall off so suddenly? What’s going on?” The onlookers were equally astonished.
The woman rubbed the other warts, and, as expected, all the warts could be easily removed. Her skin was smooth and scar-free. It was incredible—could rainwater alone really remove warts?
Everyone looked at Sophia in amazement and admiration. Only now did they realize that this young herbal doctor might truly be skilled.
Everyone waited for her to reveal the secret, and Sophia finally smiled, pointing upward.
“The secret lies in the sky! Rain that falls during summer thunderstorms can be used to soak areas with warts. The warts will quickly disappear!”
“What? There’s really such a method?” Everyone was astounded, having never heard of it.
