General, Your Wife Is Requesting Your Return Home For Farming Chapter 1470 The Pharmacy and Wei Xiaobao

The capital was beginning to feel the first brush of summer heat as spring drew to a close.

Inside the study, Su Xiaoxiao was busy evaluating the schoolwork of Dahu, Erhu, and Xiaohu. Their teacher had spent the morning instructing them on poetry.

“Who wants to start the recitation?” Su Xiaoxiao inquired.

“Dahu,” the other two brothers blurted out simultaneously.

Su Xiaoxiao fixed them with a stern gaze. “Did you two slack off during your lessons again?”

They shook their heads in perfect synchronization. “I was paying attention!”

Su Xiaoxiao wasn't fooled for a second.

“Dahu, you begin with the first stanza.”

Dahu proceeded to recite the lines with perfect clarity. When he finished, Su Xiaoxiao looked at the next son. “Erhu.”

Erhu gave a small nod and managed to get through his portion systematically. Finally, it was Xiaohu’s turn.

Xiaohu immediately clutched his midsection. “Mother, Xiaohu has a stomachache.”

Su Xiaoxiao remained completely unmoved. “Your stomach seems to ache every single time you are asked to memorize a text. How many times have we played this game?”

Xiaohu looked at her with a pained expression. “Mother, you’ve changed. If I weren’t acting like this, would I even be your favorite baby anymore?”

Wei Xiaobao, who had been sitting by the entrance playing with a flower basket, turned her head. “Wait, isn't Dad the one Mom likes most?”

Su Xiaoxiao nearly choked on her breath. That little girl really shouldn't spout such nonsense.

It was clear Xiaohu truly hadn't memorized the lines. Su Xiaoxiao noted it down and decided to re-test the second brother. “Erhu, you go again.”

Erhu’s small frame began to tremble. “Mother, shouldn’t it be Dahu? Dahu is my big brother. A brother should recite first!”

Su Xiaoxiao replied with a serious face, “When the meat was served earlier, you didn't suggest that your brother should eat first. You aren't getting out of reciting your books.”

“I’ll let Brother eat first next time!” Erhu bargained.

“Then Brother can recite first next time,” Su Xiaoxiao countered. Erhu was completely outmatched by his mother; he didn't stand a chance in this argument.

“Start reciting,” she commanded.

Erhu began to stammer, “I… I… I’ve forgotten it.”

A mother understands her children better than anyone. Su Xiaoxiao knew exactly what was happening. The little rascal hadn't paid any attention in class, let alone mastered the material. He was trying to cram at the very last second—turning to the gods only when the crisis hit.

He wasn't lacking in intelligence, as he could learn quickly when pushed, but his focus simply wasn't on his studies. Su Xiaoxiao let out a weary sigh. At least she could depend on Dahu.

“I’m counting on you,” she told her eldest.

Dahu felt the weight of her expectations and gave a solemn nod. “Don’t worry, Mother. I will study diligently.” He felt that since his two brothers were unreliable, the future of the family rested solely on his shoulders.

Once the homework check was finished, rewards and punishments were dealt with. However, the moment they stepped out of the study, the three were a united front once more. They marched off valiantly to find their two followers—Little Wei Qing and the Little Ghostfear.

By the time Wei Ting returned from the imperial court, Wei Xiaobao had fallen into an afternoon slumber. “She’s so drowsy. Is she falling ill?” he asked, worriedly touching the young girl’s forehead.

Su Xiaoxiao stood with her arms crossed, looking at the drooling toddler. “How could she not be exhausted after staying up all night playing?”

She had recently discovered that Wei Xiaobao had unlocked a new feature within the pharmacy—the video room. It wasn't just for watching shows; she could play video games as well. While Su Xiaoxiao would be ejected from the pharmacy after only three minutes, Wei Xiaobao was able to stay inside all night long.

The pharmacy was truly spoiling the girl! Su Xiaoxiao was genuinely concerned that if this continued, Wei Xiaobao might actually find a way to transmigrate back to the modern world. The thought startled her.

“Wei Xiaobao!” Su Xiaoxiao shook the chubby girl awake without mercy.

“Mother… what is it?” Xiaobao asked, blinking sleepily.

Su Xiaoxiao warned her, “When you go into the pharmacy, you are forbidden from visiting strange places.”

Wei Xiaobao tilted her head in confusion. “What counts as strange?”

Su Xiaoxiao pondered for a second. “Places that don't look like our capital. Where the buildings, the streets, and the clothes people wear are all different. Do you understand?”

“Oh.”

“You’re worrying too much,” Wei Ting interjected. “She’s clever. She’s even sharper than Yuan Bao.”

Su Xiaoxiao considered this and had to agree. Everyone knew Yuan Bao was brilliant, but people often overlooked Wei Xiaobao’s wit because she usually relied on being adorable. Furthermore, the pharmacy was giving her an education far beyond her years through that video room.

After their midday meal, a messenger arrived from the palace. Xiao Zhonghua requested the immediate presence of Wei Ting and Su Xiaoxiao.

“Summoned right after the court session ended? Is it something urgent?” Su Xiaoxiao asked her husband. “Were you impeached again?”

“Can’t you wish for something better?” Wei Ting replied. “The summons is for both of us.”

Su Xiaoxiao’s heart skipped a beat. “Am I being impeached too? I haven’t even done anything!”

Wei Ting was at a loss for words. “…Are you pregnant again?”

It took Su Xiaoxiao a moment to realize he was teasing her about the 'three years of pregnancy brain' trope. He was calling her stupid in a roundabout way. She shot him a sharp glare and headed for the door. “Dad—”

Now it was Wei Ting’s turn to feel a chill! He had just been disciplined the day before, and his limbs were still aching from the punishment.

“I was wrong!” he quickly apologized.

“And what exactly did you do wrong?”

“I should have made sure you were pregnant. That way, you'd have a valid excuse for being so slow,” he joked.

Su Xiaoxiao was stunned. “Wei Ting, you’re a dead man!”

She decided it wasn't too late to give her husband some 'special training.' Once they returned from the palace, she planned to lodge complaints with her father-in-law, her father, her grandfather, her big brother, and even the Head of the Secret Service!

Wei Ting suddenly felt an ominous, murderous aura surrounding him. He realized he might have pushed his luck too far this time.

When the couple reached the imperial study, they found Xiao Zhonghua waiting. He let out a heavy sigh of relief. “You’ve finally arrived.”

“Your Majesty,” they both bowed.

“Rise, there is no need for formalities,” Xiao Zhonghua said, waving his hand urgently. He dismissed the attendants, and the palace servants quickly filed out.

Su Xiaoxiao realized the gravity of the situation. Xiao Zhonghua handed them a scroll. “See for yourselves.”

Wei Ting opened the document, and he and Su Xiaoxiao read it together. Their expressions darkened instantly. There had been a series of horrific murders in Lingnan. Over a hundred children under the age of six, both boys and girls, had gone missing. The local magistrate had suppressed the news to protect his own political standing. If a family letter from Madam Tao’s relatives in Lingnan hadn't mentioned it, Xiao Zhonghua might have remained in the dark indefinitely.

A coincidence? Su Xiaoxiao thought to herself.

While the Head of the Secret Service did have maternal ties to Lingnan, the idea of this being a casual mention in a family letter was likely a cover. The Head of the Secret Service surely had his own network of spies who had uncovered the magistrate’s corruption. Even if he seemed indifferent to court politics, he was quietly guarding the empire.

“The culprit is both cruel and elusive,” Xiao Zhonghua said gravely. “I don't trust anyone else with this investigation. I need the two of you to go to Lingnan, uncover the truth, and rescue those children.”

Wei Ting remained silent for a moment. Xiao Zhonghua sighed again. “I realize you don't wish to leave the capital and your own children. But as parents yourselves, you surely understand the agony those families are suffering.”

Wei Ting shook his head. “Your Majesty, that isn't what I'm contemplating.”

“Then speak your mind,” the Emperor urged.

“Can Su Xuan accompany us to Lingnan?” Wei Ting asked.

Su Xiaoxiao leaned in and whispered, “Why do you want the Head of the Secret Service to come along?”

“He’s the one who provided the information,” Wei Ting whispered back. “He must already have leads.”

Su Xiaoxiao murmured, “As expected of the Head of the Secret Service!”