On the morning of October 19th, a funeral shop on an old street in Jiangsu suddenly became lively. Passersby couldn’t help but stop and peek into the store—only to see five or six tall, curly-haired foreigners crowded around the counter, flipping through various hats in their hands. Some even put them on directly, grinning at the mirrors on the wall, occasionally bursting out in awkward Chinese with phrases like “It looks good” and “How much.” Nearby, a young foreigner was holding up a phone, seemingly helping with translations.
Shop owner Wang Shifu is nearly 50 years old and has been in this business for almost a decade, but he’s never seen such a scene before. He quickly approached, watching the foreigners pointing at hats and gesturing, not understanding their foreign language and getting anxious, scratching his head. In the end, he pulled out his phone, opened a translation app, and chatted back and forth. Turns out, the group of foreigners had come to the local area for tourism. While exploring the old street, they were attracted by the hats in the shop’s window, thinking the styles were unique, so they came in to take a look. After about half an hour of haggling, they finally picked out four hats, some cotton and some canvas. After paying, they even asked Wang Shifu to take a group photo with them, leaving happily.
After the foreigners left, the neighbors gathered around Wang and asked, “Isn’t this a funeral parlor? How come you’re selling regular hats now?” Wang smiled and explained, “The funeral business is special—it’s not like you have customers every day. Sometimes you don’t even make a sale for a whole week. The rent is over $3,000 a month, plus utilities, and it’s just not sustainable relying solely on funeral goods. Two years ago, I thought, why not stock up on everyday hats and thin jackets? First, it can help supplement the income, and second, it makes customers feel less awkward when they come in—after all, some people feel压抑 just stepping into a funeral parlor, but seeing everyday items makes them more willing to browse.”
Wang said that there have been local customers who bought hats from his store before, but he never expected it would attract foreigners. Once, a foreigner picked up a hat, felt the fabric, and asked in a translation app, “Is it handmade?” Wang quickly nodded, “It’s all made by local tailors—the material is thick, and it’s warm to wear.” After hearing this, the foreigner gave a thumbs-up and said something in a foreign language to his companions. The others nodded in agreement, and suddenly they picked out two more hats.
Actually, Wang Master’s shop isn’t that big, only about ten square meters. On the left, the shelves are filled with traditional funeral supplies like coffins and paper money, while on the right are hats, scarves, and gloves. The two types of items are placed together, yet there’s no sense of incongruity. He says he runs his business with sincerity, whether selling coffins or hats, he ensures customers feel they’re getting value. “Look at these foreigners today, even though we can’t communicate, their genuine excitement when buying is enough.”
Later, some neighbors jokingly told Wang Master, “Maybe your shop could become a ‘viral shop’ in the future, with foreigners coming just to buy hats!” Wang Master laughed heartily, “Whether it’s viral or not doesn’t matter. As long as I can run the shop well and do more honest business, that’s great.” Sunlight streamed through the glass window into the shop, landing on the hanging hats. Somewhat solemn funeral shop, thanks to this unexpected “foreigner group purchase,” gained a touch more of everyday charm and warmth.
