冬至的黄昏，飘着细细的雪花，明怀着复杂的心情走进了乡下的家。

On the winter solstice evening, fine snowflakes were falling as Ming entered his rural home with a complicated heart.

房子虽小但温馨，内壁上的春联已经有些褪色，但仍显得喜庆。

The house was small but cozy, and the spring couplets on the inner walls had faded a bit but still looked festive.

桌子上满是饺子和年糕，空气中弥漫着扑鼻的香气。

The table was filled with jiaozi and niangao, and the air was filled with an enticing aroma.

今天是冬至，象征着团圆的日子。

Today was the winter solstice, a day symbolizing family reunion.

明是家里最大的孩子，

Ming was the eldest child in the family.

他住在大城市里，工作繁忙，很少回家。

He lived in a big city, where his work kept him busy, so he seldom returned home.

他对家里的责任感到沉重，同时又对自己长期的疏离感到内疚。

He felt a heavy sense of responsibility towards his family and also felt guilty for his long absence.

他已经很久没有和家人一起过冬至了。

He hadn't spent the winter solstice with his family for a long time.

这次回来，他希望能和莉和花好好聚聚。

This time, he hoped to have a good gathering with Li and Hua.

莉是家里的二女儿，她留在家乡照顾父母。

Li, the second daughter in the family, stayed in her hometown to take care of their parents.

对明的长期缺席，她心里有些不满。

She was somewhat resentful of Ming's long absence.

她一直觉得，明把所有的负担都扔给了她。

She always felt that Ming had left all the burdens on her shoulders.

尽管她心里也很想和哥哥和好，但心里的芥蒂总是阻止她迈出第一步。

Although she also desired to reconcile with her brother, her grievances held her back from taking the first step.

小妹花不断劝说，希望能促成哥哥姐姐的和解，她不愿看到家人不和，特别是在这样的节日里。

Their younger sister Hua continuously mediated, hoping to bring about peace between her brother and sister, for she disliked seeing family discord, especially on such a festive day.

晚餐开始后，家人围坐在桌旁，气氛显得有些尴尬。

As dinner began, the family sat around the table with a somewhat awkward atmosphere.

花端上了一盘热腾腾的饺子，兴奋地说道：“哥哥，这次我们一起包的饺子特别好吃呢！”

Hua brought a plate of steaming jiaozi and excitedly said, “Gege, these dumplings we made together are especially tasty!”

明微笑着点头，心里却在想着该如何开始他和莉之间的对话。

Ming smiled and nodded, while pondering how to initiate a conversation with Li.

过了不久，话题逐渐转向了过往的家庭生活。

After a while, the topic gradually shifted to their past family life.

莉有些情绪化地说：“明，你很久都没回来看我们，每次都是我一个人在家撑着。”

Li, a bit emotional, said, “Ming, you haven't come home for so long. Every time, I’m the one holding up things at home.”

她说完，用筷子拨弄着碗里的饺子，不再看明。

After speaking, she poked at the jiaozi in her bowl with her chopsticks, no longer looking at Ming.

明放下了筷子，深吸一口气，正视着莉。他知道这个时刻迟早要来。

Ming put down his chopsticks, took a deep breath, and looked Li in the eye. He knew this moment was inevitable.

他诚恳地说：“莉，对不起，这些年我没有尽到哥哥的责任。我知道你付出了很多，承担了很多。我也很想回家，但是每次想到家里的负担，我觉得无从下手。”

Sincerely, he said, “Li, I’m sorry I haven’t fulfilled my duties as a brother these years. I know you've given and taken on a lot. I also want to come home, but every time I think of the burden at home, I feel lost.”

花见气氛有些紧张，赶紧插话道：“我们都希望能多一些时间在一起，毕竟今天是冬至，团圆很重要。”

Hua, sensing the tension, quickly interjected, “We all hope to spend more time together, especially since today is the winter solstice, and reunion is important.”

明继续说道：“我这次回来就是想告诉你，我会试着改变，更多参与家里的事。我知道不是一句话就能解决的，但我会努力。”

Ming continued, “I came back this time to tell you that I'll try to change and be more involved with family affairs. I know it can't be resolved in just a few words, but I’ll try my best.”

莉沉默了片刻，然后低声说道：“我也是。我也不该一直埋怨，今后我会尽量放下过去。”

Li remained silent for a moment, then whispered, “Me too. I shouldn't keep holding grudges; I'll try to let go of the past.”

在花的调和下，兄妹俩终于冰释前嫌。

With Hua's mediation, the siblings finally reconciled.

随着时间的推移，他们的话语渐渐轻松起来，欢声笑语又回到了家中。

As time passed, their conversation grew lighter, and laughter returned to the house.

那个夜晚，他们围坐在炉火旁，聊起了小时候的趣事。

That night, they sat around the stove, reminiscing about childhood fun.

冬至的夜空，皎洁的月光洒在院子里，覆盖了一层银白色的薄霜。

Under the winter solstice night sky, the bright moonlight shone in the courtyard, covering it with a layer of silvery frost.

通过这次坦诚的沟通，明明白了亲情的重要，而莉则学会了宽恕和包容。

Through this candid communication, Ming understood the importance of family affection, and Li learned about forgiveness and tolerance.

家人间的那份温暖，在这冬至的夜晚，愈发浓厚。

The warmth among the family grew even stronger on this winter solstice night.