炎炎夏日，知了在树上叫个不停。

On a scorching summer day, the zhiliao wouldn't stop buzzing in the trees.

小区里，孩子们在外面玩耍，家人们在门廊上闲聊。

In the neighborhood, children played outside while families chatted on their porches.

小区的每个角落都充满了夏天的味道。

Every corner of the community was filled with the essence of summer.

莲是个13岁的姑娘，梦想成为一名艺术家。

Lian was a 13-year-old girl who dreamed of becoming an artist.

她的家里到处都是她的画作，餐桌上摆满了各种画具。

Her home was filled with her paintings, and the dining table was covered with various art supplies.

今年暑假，她有个重要的计划：参加一个本地的艺术比赛。

This summer, she had an important plan: to participate in a local art competition.

可是，她的15岁堂兄明有不同的想法。

However, her 15-year-old cousin Ming had different ideas.

明特别爱运动，一到夏天就想让莲和他一起到外面玩。

Ming loved sports, and as soon as summer arrived, he wanted Lian to join him in outdoor activities.

每当莲专心画画，他就来敲敲门：“莲，快出来打篮球吧！”

Whenever Lian was focused on her painting, Ming would come knocking: “Lian, come out and play basketball!”

莲感到为难，她想画画，又不想辜负明。

Lian felt torn; she wanted to paint but didn’t want to let Ming down.

他们的奶奶震是一位70岁的老人，经常给他们讲过去的故事。

Their grandmother Zhen, a 70-year-old woman, frequently shared stories from the past and always listened to Lian's concerns with patience.

一天早上，莲决定：“我可以早上画画，下午和明出去玩。”

One morning, Lian decided: “I can paint in the morning and play with Ming in the afternoon.”

她这么计划着，认为这样可以两全其美。

She planned it this way, thinking it could be the best of both worlds.

然而，一次小争吵却打破了这种平衡。

However, a minor argument disrupted this balance.

有一天，莲因为画的进度不快而紧张。

One day, Lian became anxious due to her slow progress with a painting.

明又来邀请她：“快啊，今天我们去游泳吧！”

Ming came to invite her again: “Come on, let's go swimming today!”

“我不去！”莲一声回绝，“我得画完这幅画。”

“I’m not going!” Lian replied curtly, “I have to finish this painting.”

“你整天都在画画，难道不觉得无聊吗？”明反驳。

“You paint all day; don’t you find it boring?” Ming retorted.

“但这是我最想做的事！”莲不满地说道。

“But it’s what I love doing the most!” Lian responded discontentedly.

兄妹俩争执起来，莲甚至开始怀疑自己是否真该参加比赛。

The siblings argued, and Lian even began to doubt whether she should participate in the competition.

晚上，奶奶震看出了莲的不安。

That evening, grandmother Zhen noticed Lian's unease.

她轻轻拍了拍莲的肩膀，开始讲一个关于坚持的故事。

She gently patted Lian's shoulder and began to tell a story about perseverance.

奶奶讲的是她年轻时种稻子的故事，“尽管遇到了大雨、虫灾，但坚持下去，总有收获。”

Zhen recounted her youth when she grew rice: “Despite heavy rains and pests, by persisting, there was always a harvest.”

“你一定要坚持自己的梦想，同时也别忘了家庭的温暖。”震的故事让莲深受感动。

“You must persist in your dreams, but also remember the warmth of family.” Zhen's story deeply moved Lian.

第二天，明走到莲跟前：“对不起，昨天是我太急躁了。

The next day, Ming approached Lian: “I’m sorry, I was too impatient yesterday.

我帮你画些背景吧，这样我们可以早点出去玩。”

I’ll help you paint some of the background so we can finish earlier and go out to play.”

莲笑了，她知道明是真心支持她。

Lian smiled, knowing that Ming genuinely supported her.

于是，他们一起努力完成了画作。

Together, they worked hard to complete the painting.

这个夏天，莲学会了在追求梦想和家庭生活之间找到平衡。

This summer, Lian learned to find a balance between pursuing her dreams and family life.

比赛那天，她信心满满，因为她知道有家人最真诚的支持。

On the day of the competition, she was full of confidence because she knew she had her family's sincere support.

虽然输赢未定，但她已经是胜者，因为她学会了自信，还收获了更多亲情。

Regardless of the outcome, she was already a winner because she learned self-confidence and gained more familial affection.

夏天的风继续吹过小区，孩子们的笑声伴着蝉鸣，一切都显得那么和谐美好。

The summer wind continued to blow through the neighborhood, the children's laughter mingled with the chan singing, making everything seem so harmonious and beautiful.