“So... if I want to sell my couplets, I have to stand out from the crowd. At the very least, I need to let them know that I’m clearly different from everyone else—only then can I make a sale.”

Henry Clark’s lips curled into a faint smile.

Now that he understood why the couplets weren’t selling, the rest was much easier.

Henry Clark slowly swept his gaze over the marketplace. When his eyes landed on a painting shop by the street, he was struck by an idea:

“Got it.”

Swish, swish, swish!

Henry Clark spread out a new sheet of paper and, in an instant, wrote a fresh pair of couplets. His brushstrokes were heavy, carrying immense force. He used extra ink, making the characters appear especially bold and vigorous, like a mighty waterfall cascading down a mountain.

Left couplet: Fortune never comes in pairs.

Right couplet: Misfortune never comes alone.

Once finished, he swiftly hung the new couplets on the banner behind him, replacing the old ones.

Wow!

The crowd, who had previously ignored Henry Clark, suddenly erupted in an uproar as soon as the couplets were posted.

“You brat, what are you doing?!”

“Are you cursing people? Looking for a beating?”

“How dare you write such couplets at a time like this!”

“Hurry up and take them down, now!”

...

The end of the year is supposed to be the most festive time. Everyone is either scrambling to gather money for the New Year or buying goods for good luck. No one expected to see such an ominous couplet posted right in the center of the market—wasn’t this cursing people?

Especially a few traveling merchants from all over the country—when they saw the couplets, it was as if they’d seen blood during the New Year. Each one glared angrily, their faces unfriendly.

Seeing such couplets at a time like this was sure to provoke resentment.

Curses echoed from all directions, and people were filled with righteous indignation. A few burly men even rolled up their sleeves, ready to start a fight, but recognizing that Henry Clark seemed to be from the Yang clan, they held back for the moment.

Facing the boiling crowd, Henry Clark remained calm and composed. He didn’t go too far; seeing that the crowd had gathered, he decided it was time to stop.

Picking up his brush, Henry Clark quickly added three characters to each side of the couplets on the banner:

Left: Fortune never comes in pairs—arrives today.

Right: Misfortune never comes alone—passed yesterday.

With these lines, the meaning changed completely: misfortune had already passed, and fortune was arriving today—a classic “after hardship comes happiness.”

The crowd, who had been fuming with anger, were now all dumbfounded, and couldn’t help but slap the table in admiration!

They had never seen such a masterful turn of phrase. What had seemed like a curse was instantly transformed into its opposite with just a few added words from Henry Clark.

Such skill was truly awe-inspiring.

“Hahaha, well done, kid!”

A burly merchant with a bristly beard laughed heartily and squeezed out from the crowd:

“Just for coming up with this idea, I’ll buy this couplet. One copper coin, right? I’ll take it!”

Businessmen are nothing if not shrewd. He immediately saw that Henry Clark was using this to attract customers, and felt a sense of kinship. Merchants have great respect for clever people.

“Finally, I did it.”

Henry Clark’s tense nerves relaxed. The first sale he’d been hoping for all day had finally come, and he felt an indescribable excitement. However, Henry Clark didn’t rush to close the deal.

“Wait a moment!”

Henry Clark took down the couplets from the banner, picked up his brush, and with focused attention, in the blink of an eye, added a few strokes to the blank spaces on the couplets.

Under the astonished gaze of the bearded merchant, the once plain couplets now had, on each side, several lively ink-painted magpies and winter plum blossoms, perfectly symmetrical.

“Magpies on the branch herald the coming of spring. You’re a merchant, so buying this is for good luck. I’ll throw this in for free.”

Henry Clark said.

“Amazing, amazing! Young man, with a mind like yours, it’s a pity you’re just a scholar.”

The bearded merchant was full of admiration.

Merchants travel far and wide and have seen it all. At first, he’d only had a bit of appreciation for this young man, suspecting he was just putting on a show. But when Henry Clark added the painting to the couplets, he was completely won over.

At this age, he’d never seen such a quick-witted youth.

“At this age, to have such skill and such a sharp mind... truly impressive. —It’s just a pity he’s a scholar.”

The bearded merchant sighed inwardly, but the thought quickly faded.

“Hahaha, just for these magpies and plum blossoms, and your auspicious words, this couplet is worth two copper coins to me.”

The bearded merchant laughed, pulled out another copper coin, and slapped it heavily on the table.

“Thank you.”

Henry Clark’s voice was filled with irrepressible joy.

After all, he was only fifteen this year, not as steady as those old gentlemen who’d lived for decades. Selling his first couplet and earning his first bit of money, the joy and excitement in his heart were beyond words—even his fingertips trembled with excitement.

With this auspicious first sale, Henry Clark’s business indeed picked up considerably.