Even though New Zealand is located at a high latitude, winter is really not that cold.
During the coldest days, the daytime temperature is around 5 or 6 degrees Celsius, and the nights are relatively cold, but there are very few days when the temperature exceeds freezing.
But for locals, it is already very cold during the snowy season on the mountains.
There is a lot of rain in winter. When it rains, it lasts for several rainy days. Sometimes it is also mixed with snow particles. It is uncomfortable to be wet and cold. The sheep are reluctant to go out and move around, and they huddle in the sheepfold to keep each other warm.
People had nothing to do, so they stayed at home, making snacks, warming themselves by the fire, and knitting scarves and socks.
Xu Yin learned several knitting methods from Mrs. Hunter and the cook. Now she can not only knit sweaters, gloves, and scarves, but also socks and hats.
I knitted myself two pairs of cashmere socks, which were very warm to wear.
But in the long winter, you can’t knit clothes and socks every day, right?
She couldn't sit still. After the rain stopped, she rode a motorcycle to Christchurch. She visited several hardware stores and bought parts and materials for an improved electric wool pusher. When she came back, she had something to do.
As winter draws to a close, the pastures begin to prepare for sheep shearing.
This year, because of the electric wool pusher 2.0 developed by Xu Yin, old George was able to do it all by himself, so Mr. Hunter did not hire any more shearers.
Xu Yin nestled in a small single room, immersed in 3.0.
After spring, sheep ranches begin to shear sheep, and Hunter Ranch is no exception.
After a winter of feeding and nourishing, the sheep's fur is thick and fluffy.
Old George held the version 2.0 electric wool pusher and pushed the wool of the sheep easily. While shearing, he praised: "This electric clipper is so easy to use! Such thick wool does not get hot no matter how you push it, and it is also very sharp." , no need to stop and lubricate in the middle.”
Several young people in Oliva squatted next to him and watched: "It's really much faster! Was this really invented by Sean?"
"Shawn, is it too tiring to cut hair? They say inventors invent new things because they are lazy."
"That's wrong. I think you're quite lazy. Why haven't I seen you invent anything useful?"
"I am pure laziness, Sean is smart and lazy."
"Hahaha……"
"What are you talking about? You are so happy." Xu Yin came in holding the newly improved version 3.0 and said to Old George, "Let me help you for a while."
As soon as she finished speaking, the thorn-headed sheep that Xu Yin had pressed and sheared in early spring last year lay down obediently in front of her.
Xu Yin was amused: "Are you so self-conscious?"
Old George was busy with his work without raising his head: "They are waiting for you to massage them."
"..."
Putting the massage aside for now, she wanted to try out version 3.0 to see if it was any better.
The thorn-headed sheep narrowed his eyes and allowed Xu Yin to manipulate him without saying a word, seeming to enjoy it very much.
Oliva felt puzzled: "Is shearing sheep comfortable? It looks like it is enjoying it."
Looking at Old George's sheep, although they don't resist and struggle as much as in previous years, they don't enjoy it as much either.
In less than a minute, Xu Yin finished shearing the thorn-headed sheep.
This is a large adult sheep, and it can cut a lot of wool completely. Sean actually finished the shearing in less than a minute?
Xu Yin handed the 3.0 hair pusher to Old George: "Try this."
"What's the difference?"
Old George took it and looked at it several times, but didn't see any difference.
"Several parts and materials have been changed to make it easier to push and faster. Let's think of it as an upgraded version of 2.0."
"!!!"
What? ? ?
Spring has just arrived, 2.0 hasn’t warmed up yet, yet another 3.0? Is it too fast?
yes! Is it too fast?
Valf, who came over from North Island after receiving the news, looked at Xu Yin with a hint of unspeakable resentment.
"Miss Sean, we just bought six months of advertising."
The new electric wool pusher was launched last fall, but the market really opened up in spring. Sheep pastures across the country began to prepare for shearing. TV advertisements were placed in thousands of households, and sales of the 2.0 version of the wool pusher were increasing day by day.
Just as I was happy, I suddenly received a call from the mayor of Cook Town, saying that Miss Sean had developed a version 3.0 that pushes hair faster.
How can he not be resentful?
Xu Yin touched her nose: "Mr. Wolf, don't worry. The difference between 3.0 and 2.0 may not seem big, but several of the replaced materials are imported, which are more expensive and may not be acceptable to customers."
She quoted the price of those materials, and Valf breathed a sigh of relief, that's good!
If there is no difference in price, who would buy version 2.0?
As per the old rules, Valf bought out the technology transfer fee for version 3.0. This time he came directly with a check. I thought he had discussed it with his partners before setting off, and he had to get the upgraded version no matter how expensive it was.
But Xu Yin was not as open as the lion, and still only received 300,000 New Zealand dollars.
In a few years, after the import and export trade is fully opened, she will launch version 4.0 that can shear a sheep in 30 seconds. However, she plans to produce the crucial core parts in the motherland to generate some foreign exchange income for the motherland. So I won’t try too hard to pluck Valf’s wool now, lest I bald him and make future cooperation unhappy.
Xu Yin signed the contract, accepted the check, and sent away Valf who was in a hurry.
Spring has just begun, and if version 3.0 is put into production immediately, it can still catch up with this year's peak sales season.
With this money, Xu Yin is no longer constrained by her upcoming spring planting project.
In mid-September, when the weather got warmer, she began to sow grass seeds soaked in spiritual mist on 85 hectares of pasture and on the grassy slopes of the mountains.
These seeds are mainly alfalfa, followed by ryegrass and sweet elephant grass. Occasionally, some blind box forage seeds bought with Mr. Hunter's help are sown. You won't know what they are until they grow.
Replanting pasture on nearly one hundred hectares of land was a big project. She bought a latest seeder, hired a worker to sow the seeds, and divided the pasture at the foot of the mountain into sections for sowing in turns.
The first hundred acres of land closest to the cattle and sheep pens were sown. After sowing, another piece was sown. After all the pastures at the foot of the mountain were replanted with pasture, the ranchers in the south sent her calves.
And the alfalfa grass in the first field is also mature.
Angus beef cattle settled in the central region for the first time, attracting many surrounding ranchers.
Xu Yin asked Wei Lai to deal with it. The master had something to do and the apprentice took care of it. She still had many things to be busy with.
The farm has just hired a group of short-term workers.
There is no way, foreigners have a more free-spirited temperament. Domestic people prefer stable formal jobs, but foreigners prefer unfettered short-term temporary jobs. After earning money after one season, they may travel in style or work part-time in another place. . Unless he feels satisfied with you, he will continue it season after season.
However, it may also be that in this era, protection benefits such as five insurances and one housing fund have not yet been implemented, and the difference in salary between long-term workers and short-term workers is not as big as in later generations.
But no matter whether they are long-term workers or short-term workers, as long as they come to work with her, Xu Yin has the same requirements for them: to do things carefully.
(End of chapter)
