A Mysterious Letter

A man got a kick out of turning simple things into mysteries when composing a letter, though he was not good at all at writing.
One day his father told him to write a letter to his brother and tell him four things:

1. A villager died not long ago.


2. The price of meat has gone up.


3. The household has employed a new accountant.


4. His brother's wife is going to have a baby.

When the son had finished, however, the letter read:

"A villager died not long ago. The meat sold for 179 silver coins.

The household has employed a new accountant. My sister-in-law's belly is getting bigger and bigger."

He soon got an angry answer from his brother:

"Domestic shame should not be made public. How can the flesh of the dead be sold to others?"