Shen Wansi stepped out of the Commercial Administration Office with a light step, the sunlight gleaming on his brand-new seventh-rank official robe, the golden pheasant embroidered on his chest shining brilliantly. He covered the distance in quick strides, touching the copper seal hanging at his waist every now and then, as if afraid it might suddenly fly away.
"Master, walk a bit slower!" his servant panted as he chased after him. "That official seal isn't going to grow legs and run away!"
Shen Wansi burst into hearty laughter, his voice so loud it startled the sparrows in the roadside trees. "What do you know, you rascal! This is a seventh-rank official seal! If you trace our Shen family back five generations, we've never even produced an eighth-rank functionary!" He carefully lifted the copper seal, examining it closely in the sunlight—the knob was a carved pheasant with outstretched wings, and underneath were eight seal-script characters reading: "Seal of the Bazhou Brocade Industry Committee."
Chapter 182