It is just a sign for retailing certain items, and if there is a store then a front can be hung. Sticking a grass sign does not indicate that one is too poor to live. But to sell oneself with a straw label on one's head means that one is poor! The idea of selling one's body with a straw label on one's head is depicted in novels and operas. This is a folk custom.
Anciently, the function of the grass label is estimated to be the same as the current bar, price tags, is to indicate that this thing is for sale. A cheap sale, two for the price of normal sale, three for the expensive sale
The earliest generation should have been in the slave society, then the market, called the grass market. Most of them are located in the major transportation routes or the location of the Jindu station. Because of the market around more grass, the premises are simple, mostly covered with grass, coupled with a lot of grain and grass transactions, so all over the grass. The marketers bring things to sell, they will pick up a piece of grass inserted in the thing to show the sale. This gave rise to grass advertising. Grass advertising is very common in ancient times, such as "Water Margin" in the "Yang Zhi sell knife", "Ru Lin Wai Shi" in the "Fan Jin sell chicken", are inserted in the object of a grass label. This form, so far in the rural bazaar can still be seen.