Perhaps realizing that his response was somewhat inappropriate, after all, the girl in front of him was young and meant well, so he should respond more tactfully.
"Xiaoduo, I didn't mean anything by it. It's just that the possibility you just mentioned is not very high. After all, it's a child who has always been in the manor and by my side. It's not some other object that can be switched without anyone noticing." Jiang An couldn't find a more tactful way to put it.
Jiang An didn't say why they switched his child. He had a brain; if they really did switch, they must be after his family fortune!
“Mr. Jiang, I know that what I just said to you sounded absurd. If you were from an ordinary family and struggling financially, the probability of such a thing happening would be very small. But, who can blame you for having such a large and wealthy family, and that child being your and your late wife’s only child?”
Even if you take a second wife or have children with a concubine in the future, that child will be the eldest son of the legitimate wife, and he will inherit the lion's share of the family business and property.
"Mr. Jiang, don't think I'm making things too simple or easy. Actually, switching children isn't difficult at all. As long as the key people around you are involved, it's a piece of cake." Hong Xiaoduo paused here, giving the other party time to think.
"The key people around me?" Jiang An thought for a moment, then filtered through the several 'key' people in the mansion, frowned and shook his head, saying, "Impossible. Steward Wu has been with me for many years. If he didn't have ulterior motives and wanted my money, there should have been clues by now. But all the accounts that have been handled by him have never had any problems."
Since Madam Pang came to my household to take care of the child, she has been wholeheartedly devoted to him and treated him as her own son.
Furthermore, I have treated them both well. As for Madam Pang, apart from not giving her the position of principal wife, there are no other women around me, Jiang An. She is essentially the mistress of the Jiang family, and the power of managing the household affairs has long been handed over to her.
"Manager Wu, besides giving him twice the monthly salary of others, I also give him an extra hundred taels as a year-end bonus. I even bought his current residence for him. Given how I treat him, he has no reason to scheme against me!"
Jiang An patiently explained the situation to Hong Xiaoduo, and he wasn't angry that she questioned the two people he trusted most; he just felt that she was young.
Hong Xiaoduo naturally sensed that the other party did not trust her, but she was not angry.
Back then, even Minister Wei, I had to conduct several paternity tests to convince him that Kaiyang was his biological grandson before he believed me!
However, this time, Hong Xiaoduo didn't want to use the old methods to gain Jiang An's trust.
"Mr. Jiang, please be patient and listen to me. Someone your age should understand the meaning of the saying 'a snake trying to swallow an elephant' better than I do, right?"
You think you've treated them well, but have you ever considered that they might want more?
Let me ask you again. In terms of common sense, take Madam Pang for example. She has a son who is only about a month older than your son. When she first entered the mansion as a wet nurse, it was probably because she was forced by life to leave her own son, who was still breastfeeding, at her parents' home.
But later, you took her as a concubine. Although she wasn't your legal wife, she was practically the mistress of the household. You offered to let her bring the child to live with you, but she still refused. Master Jiang, do you think this is normal? Does it make sense?
That's her own flesh and blood, the child she carried for ten months and gave birth to. How can she, as the mother, not bring the child to her side? It's not like you disagree, or that you can't afford to raise the child or don't have time to take care of him.
She treats your child as her own, and you are grateful to her but feel indebted to her. Yet, even though she has the ability and means, she doesn't take her own child to live with her. Mr. Jiang, don't you think she is an incompetent mother?
One more thing, I remember you said, Master Jiang, that Madam Pang and Steward Wu are cousins, and that Steward Wu introduced her to the mansion, right?
"Given their existing relationship, it's understandable that I'd say they conspired against you, Mr. Jiang." Hong Xiaoduo patiently explained to Jiang An as well.
But when she got to this point, Hong Xiaoduo realized that she had overlooked something. What was it? She hadn't investigated and verified whether the Pang family and Steward Wu were actually cousins.
Of course, even without verification, it wouldn't have any impact. The paternity test results showed that Jiang Baicheng was indeed the son of Manager Wu and Ms. Pang.
“Xiaoduo, as for why Madam Pang won’t take the child in and raise him, she didn’t want it to be this way either. I asked her, and she tearfully said that whenever she sees the child, she can’t help but think of the child’s father, who is also her ex-husband, and all the abuse she suffered in the past. She has nightmares, so she feels very guilty about the child. Although she hasn’t taken the child in and raised him all these years, she has sent a lot of money to him every year to make up for the child’s lack of food, clothing, and other necessities.” Jiang An sighed.
Upon hearing this, Hong Xiaoduo looked at Jiang An and shook her head repeatedly.
"What, you don't believe me?" Jiang An asked when he saw her like this.
Hong Xiaoduo laughed and said, "No, no, I'm just wondering, Mr. Jiang, how can someone as shrewd in business as you be so naive and easily fooled?"
You actually believed her when she said that.
"Ahem, Xiaoduo, let's not talk about this anymore. Did something happen that brought you to my residence today?" Jiang An didn't want to fall out with this young friend who was much older than him, so he quickly changed the subject.
Seeing him like this, Xiao Duo felt even more that she had made the right decision in this matter; this middle-aged man was really quite nice.
“Master Jiang, I have indeed come to your residence today on an important matter. I am not usually one to meddle in other people's business, but it depends on who the other party is.”
The main reason is that I get along well with you, Mr. Jiang, so I can't ignore this trivial matter.
I've said so much, but you still don't believe me, so I'll just tell you the truth: I've already found out the general outline of the matter.
Mr. Jiang, please sit down. I'm about to get to the point. This son you've raised for over twenty years, the good-for-nothing son I've disciplined, isn't actually your biological son. The only reason Madam Pang has always been so devoted to him is because they are biological mother and son.
"Hey, Mr. Jiang, please don't be in such a hurry. Even if you can't stand it anymore, please be patient and let me finish what I have to say. If you still don't believe me, just pretend I'm talking nonsense and kick me out of the manor." Seeing that Jiang An was about to speak anxiously, Hong Xiaoduo quickly stopped him.
Jiang An frowned, picked up the teacup in front of him, and drank it all in one gulp. He was a little confused as to why this girl was so stubborn. Fortunately, it was just the two of them here and now, so he might as well listen to what other outrageous things she could come up with...
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