Micro-story:  Ah Sha and Her Fertilizer (by Tonkabean)

 

People call me Ah Sha because my body looks like a shark, and my laugh sounds like one too. When they laugh at me, I laugh right back. I tell them, "This is my internal jogging."

What is internal jogging? Well, I just found out about it myself. A Laughter Yoga teacher told me: "Laughter Yoga works your belly muscles and your diaphragm. Scientists call it 'internal jogging' because it stimulates your organs. It doesn't just strengthen your belly and give you an internal massage; it also helps keep your organs in the right place, making sure your digestion and absorption work efficiently." To be honest, I didn't fully get what he meant, but it sounded pretty cool. Since then, I’ve been practicing Laughter Yoga, though I wouldn't call myself a true Laughter Yogi just yet.

My head is always full of weird ideas. A friend told me these ideas are "materials," but I call them "fertilizer." Materials can expire, but fertilizer makes things grow.

All those laughs and doubts from others? They are my NPK—my nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. I swallow them all and use the vibrations of my diaphragm to break them down.

What is NPK? They are the three essential nutrients for plants to grow. To put it simply: nitrogen grows leaves, phosphorus grows flowers and fruits, and potassium strengthens roots and stems.

The people who laugh at me keep on laughing, and whenever I want to laugh, I just keep on laughing too.

Just like when I was a kid, laughing is just for fun. You don’t need a reason.

This is exactly how my so-called "creative works" are grown.

But people always ask, "How much money can you make from this?"

Whenever that happens, stress starts running wild inside my body. So, I just keep laughing.

The funny thing is, when I keep laughing, the other person actually starts laughing along with me!

It has happened a few times now. Some people get a little embarrassed by my laughter, while others ask if they asked the wrong question.

I say, "No, no, no... good question! Good question!"

And in my heart, I remember what my Laughter Yoga friend said: "That’s mirror neurons at work. Just laugh and don't worry!"

Over the years, I’ve thrown away a lot of rotten ideas. But they were never wasted. It’s just like turning the soil to give new things room to grow.

My friend said, "Yes, exactly! Just like the carbon dioxide inside you—exhale it out with force, and let the laughter come in."

End

Date：17 August 2026

Illustration:  Ai-Bean

Written by: Tonkabean

Besides writing micro-stories, I also create audiobooks. I hope we can get to know each other.

Do you like my stories? I hope to have your support, likes, or shares. Let me know that you are with me on this creative journey.

About me ：https://tonkabean.me/

Story Collection

https://tonkabean2016.blogspot.com/

https://matters.town/@tonkabean/collections

Micro-story: The Night the Drinks Fought Back (by Tonkabean)

 

At 3:00 AM, the moonlight was like a voyeur, peeking through the window screen onto the kitchen counter. A cup of amber honey water and a cup of cloudy ginseng tea stood side by side in perfect order.

Ah Bei was used to drinking honey water before bed, letting the sweet taste coat her throat. Ah Lap, however, was obsessed with the bitterness of ginseng tea. If forced to choose, he would say that life itself is bitterer than Chinese medicine.

Thankfully, they had just finished watching a movie—David Lynch’s *Eraserhead*. On the screen, a deformed creature suddenly turned its head to the camera, flashng a sweet, honey-like smile. Ah Lap felt that only this kind of bizarre, twisted film could balance out his daily life. Perhaps, Ah Bei's presence in his life was the exact same kind of balance.

Ah Bei’s hand unconsciously moved to her chest. Something seemed to be crawling inside...

Tonight, the two drinks decided they would no longer stay silent.

Countless tiny bubbles popped up on the surface of the honey water, rolling and rolling, eating away at the edges of the ginseng tea. Not to be outdone, the root-like tea dregs of the ginseng tea grew out like a small hand, tightly wrapping around the honey water cup.

"I know your smile is sweet, but it’s so fake!" hissed the ginseng tea.

"Your bitter face is the one that's fake!" the honey water shot back. "Don't you know? Laughing releases endorphins. Whether it’s a real laugh or a fake laugh, it kills pain instantly."

The ginseng tea froze for a moment.

Taking advantage of the victory, the honey water pushed further: "Studies say that laughing can boost positive emotions by 17% and drop negative ones by 27%. Look at you. You’re so bitter and repressed. Who would ever want to get close to you?"

Furious, the ginseng tea stretched out its dark brown roots, wrapping around the base of the honey water cup like an octopus.

"Serotonin makes people calm, relaxed, and hopeful."

"Hey! Don't judge a tea by its cover! Just because I look bitter doesn't mean I don't want to smile," the ginseng tea replied, sounding a bit wronged.

The honey water went silent.

In her sleep, the corners of Ah Bei’s mouth curved up, looking like a thief who had just stolen some honey. Ah Lap’s brows, however, frowned into the exact shape of a wrinkled ginseng root.

At dawn, they woke up as usual.

Ah Bei took a sip of her honey water: "It doesn't taste that sweet today."

Ah Lap took a sip of his ginseng tea: "It doesn't taste that bitter today."

They looked at each other, and both smiled at the same time.

Deep down in the kitchen sink, the leftovers of the honey water and the ginseng tea quietly tangled together.

It seemed they were still talking.

End

Date：10 August 2026

Illustration: Ai-Bean

Written by: 東加豆 (Tonkabean)

Besides writing micro-stories, I also create audiobooks. I hope we can get to know each other.

Do you like my stories? I hope to have your support, likes, or shares. Let me know that you are with me on this creative journey.

About me ：https://tonkabean.me/

Story Collection

https://tonkabean2016.blogspot.com/

https://matters.town/@tonkabean/collections

Micro-story: The Happy Woman Who Sleeps Little / 少睡的快樂女人 (by Tonkabean)

Micro-story: The Happy Woman Who Sleeps Little  (by Tonkabean)

 

"Did you laugh today?"

At 4 AM, Ah Ta asked this question to the mirror. As if asking you, asking me, asking herself.

Ah Ta has a family, children, plans, and two books waiting to be written. She sleeps only three and a half hours a night, yet she's like a light bulb that never needs charging. In others' eyes, she never seems tired, always carrying a certain glow and warmth.

She has a trick: close her eyes, breathe in for four seconds, breathe out for eight seconds — like a meditating frog. Three and a half hours of sleep isn't a deficit for her; it's a precise energy-compression technique. Can't sleep? Don't get angry. Breathe deeply. Laugh. There's still so much to do.

Tonight, a black crow appeared on the living room sofa. Ah Ta genuinely wanted to crush it with one finger.

She stepped closer and asked: "Why do your eyes look like mine? Can't you sleep either?"

She had been wrestling with an AI over the lines of a strange drawing. The night was too quiet, the crow too black. Then, without warning, Ah Ta's abdomen began to pulse rhythmically, and her throat let out a dry "Ho Ho Ha Ha."

She wasn't crazy. This kind of laughter bypasses the brain's rational system — it's the only technique that allows adults to laugh continuously without thinking. The crow tilted its head, its black eyes rolling, as if to say: "Hey, don't you sleep?"

Ah Ta laughed back at it and tilted her head in return. One woman, one bird, playing a mimicry game at 4 AM.

The Laughter Yoga teacher's manual says laughter summons a team of special forces called "NK cells" that hunt down viruses and bad cells. Ah Ta doesn't sleep, but her immune system works harder than anyone's, patrolling quietly through the night. She could even handle a crow attack — but the question is, do crows have NK cells too?

The clock moved toward four. The crow flapped its wings and flew toward the window. Just before leaving, it turned back and let out two sounds — "Ho Ho Ha Ha" — same rhythm, same timing, exactly the same.

Was this an AI hallucination, or her own? Ah Ta scratched her head. Suddenly, a Laughter Yoga exercise came to mind — she unzipped the top of her head, took out her brain, rinsed it like a cabbage, put it back, zipped it up, and felt as fresh as if she'd been replaced by a brand new one.

She poured out her cold tea. The sky was growing light. The children would wake soon.

As for that laughing crow — she thought, tonight at 3:30, she'd ask it again.

End

微故事: 少睡的快樂女人 (東加豆)

"你今天笑了嗎？" 凌晨四點，亞亭對著鏡子問。彷彿在問你、問我、問她自己。

亞亭有家庭、有孩子、有計劃，還有兩本書在等她寫。她每天只睡三個半小時，卻像一顆不用充電的燈泡，別人眼裡的她，從不疲倦，總是帶著光芒與熱情。

她有一項心得：閉上眼，吸氣四秒，呼氣八秒，像一隻在打坐的青蛙。三個半小時的睡眠，對她來說不是透支，而是一種精準的能量壓縮技術。睡不了，不生氣，深呼吸，再來笑，還有很多事情等著她。

今夜，客廳沙發上莫名多了一隻黑色烏鴉，亞亭真的想一隻手指卒死牠！

她一步一步走近問："為什麼你的眼神和我一樣？你也失眠嗎？"

本來她正在跟AI為一幅怪畫的線條角力。黑夜太靜，烏鴉太黑，亞亭的腹部突然毫無預兆地抽動起來，喉嚨發出 "Ho Ho Ha Ha"的乾笑。

她沒有瘋。這種笑繞過了大腦的理智系統，是唯一一種不需要思考就能持續大笑的技巧。烏鴉側起頭，黑眼珠骨碌碌地轉，像是在說："喂，你不用睡的嗎？"

亞亭對著牠笑，又學牠側頭，一人一鳥，在凌晨四點玩起了模仿遊戲。

大笑瑜伽導師手冊說，笑聲會召喚一隊叫「NK細胞」的特種兵，專門捕捉病毒和壞細胞。亞亭不用睡，但她的免疫系統比任何人更勤快，在黑夜裡默默巡邏。即使有烏鴉來襲擊也能撐得住——問題是，烏鴉也有NK細胞嗎？

時鐘走向四點。烏鴉拍拍翅膀，向窗飛出去。臨走前，牠回頭，發出兩聲 "Ho Ho Ha Ha"——頻率、節奏，一模一樣。

究竟這是AI幻覺，還是自己的幻覺？亞亭抓了抓頭，腦海忽然飄起一個大笑瑜伽練習——她拉開頭頂的拉鏈，把腦袋掏出來，像洗一顆白菜那樣沖了沖，塞回去，拉好拉鏈，整個人清爽得像煥然一新。

她倒了茶，天色微亮，孩子快醒了。

至於那隻會笑的烏鴉——她想，今晚三點半，再問牠。

完

 

日期 Date： 2026

圖 Illustration: 人工智豆 (Ai-Bean)

文 Written by: 東加豆 (Tonkabean)

我除了寫微故事，還製作有聲書，希望我們能互相認識。

喜歡我的文章嗎？盼得到您的支持、點讚，或分享我的文章，讓我知道創作的路上有你陪伴。

Besides writing micro-stories, I also create audiobooks. I hope we can get to know each other.

Do you like my stories? I hope to have your support, likes, or shares. Let me know that you are with me on this creative journey.

關於我 /About me ：https://tonkabean.me/

故事選集 / Story Collection

https://tonkabean2016.blogspot.com/

https://matters.town/@tonkabean/collections

Micro-story: The Laughter Yoga Menu (by Tonkabean)

 

Ah Fan had been practicing Laughter Yoga for three years. He decided to take an advanced course to upgrade himself.

A week later, the teacher handed him a "Laughter Yoga Menu" and asked him to think carefully about how he wanted to spend his next year in Laughter Yoga.

"You cannot choose everything on this menu. Your budget is only five dollars or less. Whatever you choose will be how you live your laughter days for the coming year." With a half-smile, the teacher clapped and cheered, "Very good, very good, yeah!"

Ah Fan looked at the menu:

* Hearty Laughter – $3

* Relaxation – $2

* Stress Relief – $2

* Infecting Others – $3

* Losing My Image – $2

* Pure Joy – $3

* Childlike Playfulness – $3

* Laughing from the Belly – $1

* Breathing Along – $1

* Eye Contact – $1

* Gratitude – $1

* Mimicking Animals – $2

* Exaggerated Body Movements – $2

* Lasting Friendship – $2

He wanted "Pure Joy" ($3) and also wanted "Childlike Playfulness" ($2)—but that would be $5 in total, But he would not have Stress Relief or Hearty Laughter.

So he put "Pure Joy" and "Childlike Playfulness" aside and switched to "Hearty Laughter" ($3) and "Relaxation" ($2). He remembered his wife always telling him that his laugh looked too fake. He thought to himself, *Getting some hearty laughter wouldn’t be bad.*

But then, his eyes caught "Lasting Friendship" ($2). He thought of him, her, and all of them. If it weren't for him, her, and them, he would never have taken the Leader course, let alone traveled to India for the Teacher training. Most of his happiness came from him, her, and them. This $2 was something he absolutely could not save.

Ah Fan chose "Lasting Friendship."

Now, he had $3 left. If he chose "Hearty Laughter," his budget would be full, and he couldn’t pick anything else.

"Laughing from the Belly" ($1) and "Breathing Along" ($1) were only one dollar each—very good value. Ah Fan already struggled with making decisions, and now he felt even more frustrated!

Before he could decide, a burst of laughter suddenly echoed in his ears, "Ho Ho Ha Ha Ha! VGVG Yeah!"

The teacher said, "When a person feels down or hesitates, instead of sitting around waiting for a good mood to happen, it’s better to take action first. Your mood will naturally follow and change."

"I am feeling very down today."

"I learn from my mistakes! I learn from others' mistakes!" the teacher talked to himself.

Then, a group of people burst into hearty laughter. The teacher laughed even louder. He looked completely relaxed, not at all like someone who was feeling down.

Ah Fan froze for a moment. The teacher was just saying he felt down a second ago, and the next second he was leading the laughter. Ah Fan suddenly recalled a psychological therapy mentioned in his notes called Behavioral Activation. The manual stated: "Participating in activities related to happiness—such as laughing, playing, or socializing—can truly boost your sense of joy."

Ah Fan finally made his decision and filled out his Laughter Yoga Menu:

*Lasting Friendship ($2) + Losing My Image ($2) + Gratitude ($1).*

Because he believed that one true, lasting friendship could offset everything else: hearty laughter, relaxation, stress relief, pure joy, childlike playfulness, eye contact, mimicking animals, breathing along, laughing from the belly...

End

*This story is entirely fictional. The laughter we share online every day is completely free.*

Date：13 July 2026

Illustration: Ai-Bean

Written by: Tonkabean

Besides writing micro-stories, I also create audiobooks. I hope we can get to know each other.

Do you like my stories? I hope to have your support, likes, or shares. Let me know that you are with me on this creative journey.

Story Collection

https://tonkabean2016.blogspot.com/

https://matters.town/@tonkabean/collections

Micro-story: International "Riso a Gosto" Festival 2026 (by Tonkabean) / 巴西國際大笑節

Micro-story: International "Riso a Gosto" Festival 2026 (by Tonkabean)

Inside a Central office elevator, the air feels like frozen meat—cold and stiff. Ah Chan stares at the flashing floor numbers. Surrounding him are dark grey suits. Every mouth seems calculated, curved at a precise, mechanical angle. In this city, facial expressions are assets; they must not be wasted.

His phone vibrates. It’s an international email: "Invitation to the  International "Riso a Gosto" Festival 2026”—Record a 10 to 20-second laughing video to spread joy to the world."

"Why are there so many Laughter Yoga messages lately?" Ah Chan mutters to himself. He can't even remember what he liked or what forms he filled out.

Ah Chan scoffs in his mind. Ten seconds? In a city where hundreds of thousands of dollars are made every second, ten seconds of unconditional laughter is completely ridiculous! Doing something with zero return on investment will definitely get him scolded by his mom, kicked out of the house by his wife, and fired by his boss.

The elevator doors slide open. Everyone files out like programmed robots.

Ah Chan walks into the restroom. He stretches, takes a deep breath, and smells a foul odor. He looks in the mirror. The 50-year-old face staring back is stiff, like a piece of dried, mystery meat. Why mystery meat and not premium beef, fish, or pork? Ah... this city is just too polluted. "The last time I laughed for no reason feels like last century," Ah Chan mutters to himself again.

Driven by some strange impulse, he locks himself inside a toilet stall, pulls out his phone, and starts recording.

"This laugh is for the Riso a Gosto Festival!" he whispers to the camera in a tone that feels almost criminal. The first part rolls off his tongue smoothly: *"This laugh is for the..."*

"Riso... Gosto..."* He gets stuck immediately.

"Am I pronouncing this right?" "Riso... Gosto..." Switching back and forth between his social media and notes app, he just can’t remember the full sentence.

"Can't even handle one simple sentence, and yet I claim to make hundreds of thousands every second."

He opens his eyes wide to read the details clearly—turns out it's Portuguese, hosted by an organization called ABRARISO. The rules: record a 10 to 20-second video in vertical format, say "This laugh is for the Riso a Gosto Festival!" to the camera, post it as an Instagram Story, and tag @abrarisooficial. The main online event will take place on Zoom on August 22nd. That’s it.

Ah Chan takes it so seriously that he pulls off two squares of toilet paper and uses a pen to copy down the exact sentence: "This laugh is for the Riso a Gosto Festival!"

Then, he tries to laugh. A dry cough, a twitch—nothing comes out. Looking at his own indescribable expression, if someone said he looked constipated, he wouldn’t deny it.

Right then, inside that tiny toilet stall, he actually bursts out laughing. It is a genuine, unstoppable laugh. He laughs at his endless overtime work, laughs at the crazy housing prices, and laughs at this city where even breathing costs money. He laughs until tears stream down his face.

Fifteen seconds. Done.

He hits send, tossing his video across the globe to that distant Brazilian festival.

Stepping out of the restroom, Ah Chan puts his dark grey mask back on.

But he knows that on the other side of the world, someone is watching his moment of pure madness.

This is probably the least economically viable thing he has done all year—yet, it is the one that made him feel truly awake.

Date：9 July 2026

Illustration: Ai-Bean

Written by: Tonkabean

End

Story to my friend Maria-Brazil

Knowmore/知多一點

Official website of https://abrariso.org.br/

IG: https://www.instagram.com/abrarisooficial/

微故事: 巴西國際大笑節 (東加豆)

中環電梯裡，空氣像冷藏肉，又冷又硬。（亞陳）盯著電梯數字，身旁都是深灰色西裝，每個人的嘴角都彷彿經過計算，弧度精準，不多不少。在這個城市，表情是資產，不能隨便浪費。

手機震動了一下，收到一封國際郵件："邀請參與 2026 國際大笑節——拍下一段 10 到 20 秒的大笑短片，向世界傳遞快樂。"

"為什麼最近那麼多大笑瑜伽的訊息？" 亞陳自言自語，他都忘記了按過什麼讚，填過什麼表格。

亞陳心裡冷笑了一聲。10秒？在這個城市，每秒幾十萬上落的地方，10秒的無條件大笑，簡直是荒謬！做這種毫無投資價值的事情，肯定會被阿媽鬧，被老婆踢出家門，比老闆炒魷魚。

電梯門開了，大家魚貫而出，像設定好程式的機器人。

亞陳走進洗手間，伸懶腰、深呼吸，一陣臭味。他照著鏡子，鏡子裡那張臉五十歲，僵硬得像一塊風乾的雜肉。為什麼不是牛肉、魚肉、蟹肉或豬肉，而是一塊雜肉？喔...這個城市太污染了。上次毫無目的地大笑，好像是上個世紀的事。亞陳又自言自語。

他鬼使神差地鎖上廁所格子的門，拿出手機，點開錄影。

「This laugh is for the Riso a Gosto Festival!」他壓低聲音，用近乎犯罪的語氣對著鏡頭說。非常順口 "This laugh is for the... "

"Riso....Gosto..." 他馬上卡住。

"會不會讀錯？" "Riso....Gosto..." 因為在社交媒體和記事本應用程式轉換之間，亞陳總是記不起整句句子。

"那麼簡單都抓不住的一句，還口口聲聲說自己每秒幾十萬上落。"

他瞪大眼睛看清楚——原來是葡萄牙文，一個叫ABRARISO的機構主辦的。拍攝要求：十至二十秒短片，直式，對著鏡頭說：「This laugh is for the Riso a Gosto Festival!」，發佈到 Instagram Story，標籤@abrarisooficial。活動會在8月22日線上舉行。就這樣。

亞陳竟然認真到拿出兩格廁紙，用筆在廁紙上抄下整句句子 "This laugh is for the Riso a Gosto Festival!"

然後他試圖笑。乾咳、抽搐，笑不出來。他看著自己那副難以形容的樣子，如果有人說似便秘，他不會否認的。

此刻，在廁所格仔裡，他自己都笑了出來。那種笑，是真正的、忍不住的那種笑。他笑自己每天加班、笑樓價高、笑這個連呼吸都要計錢的城市，笑到眼淚流出來。

15秒。錄完。

他按了發送，把短片丟進那個遙遠的巴西大笑節。

走出洗手間時，亞陳重新戴上那副深灰色的面具。

但他知道，在世界的另一端，有人正看著他剛才的瘋狂大笑。

這大概是他今年做過最沒有經濟效益，卻最清醒的一件事。

完

日期：9 July 2026

圖: 人工智豆 (Ai-Bean)

文: 東加豆 (Tonkabean)

我除了寫微故事，還製作有聲書，希望我們能互相認識。

喜歡我的文章嗎？盼得到您的支持、點讚，或分享我的文章，讓我知道創作的路上有你陪伴。

Besides writing micro-stories, I also create audiobooks. I hope we can get to know each other.

Do you like my stories? I hope to have your support, likes, or shares. Let me know that you are with me on this creative journey.

關於我 /About me ：https://tonkabean.me/

故事選集 / Story Collection

https://tonkabean2016.blogspot.com/

https://matters.town/@tonkabean/collections

微故事: 笑肌, 重啟中… (東加豆) Micro-story: Smile muscles: Rebooting... (by Tonkabean)

微故事: 笑肌, 重啟中… (東加豆)

Micro-story: Smile muscles, Rebooting... (by Tonkabean)

 

阿丁做了十一年客戶經理。他最大的技能不是談生意，而是（捲）。把一張臉捲成恰到好處的弧度，不冷不熱，不真不假。

捲了十一年，臉終於罷工了。

某天早上，他發現自己的嘴角卡在上揚的位置，放不下來。吃早餐是這樣，看新聞是這樣，連睡覺被老婆踢醒也是這樣。他像一個永遠在說（歡迎光臨）的蠟像。

客人給他留言："皮笑肉不笑，不如唔好笑。" 一星。

阿丁計算過，一顆星可以抵銷二十顆五星。系統評核他的平均值是三星半，身為一位客戶經理，這個結果，簡直不能向任何人交代，上司、下屬、阿媽、老婆、阿仔。

絕望之下，他重上大笑瑜伽課。導師沒說大道理，只叫大家做（獅子大笑）——伸脷、瞪眼、從喉嚨深處吼出來。阿丁照做，臉上的肌肉撕扯著，像在拉一條生了鏽的拉鏈。

他發現，原來笑不是從臉開始的。筆記說，一次大笑能把肺裡1500毫升的廢氣擠出來。他不知道1500毫升是多少，但他覺得自己的肺像被清空了一樣，然後灌進了新的東西。

阿丁非常享受這種奇妙的感覺，導師說："Inhale...!"

他吸吸進去的，有地鐵的廢氣，老細的晦氣、客人的怨氣，以及自己那口難以吞下的烏氣。

大笑瑜伽卻讓這些像垃圾般的氣體，像嘔吐一樣，把你生活中被迫吸入的種種烏氣，一次過吐出來，長長地呼出一口氣。

每次客人說他笑得假，他就趁機推廣大笑瑜伽。講（內部慢跑）、講（橫膈膜震盪）、講（氧氣大掃除）。本來是皮笑肉不笑的笑容，因為講得太多，竟然帶著幾分莫名其妙的熱情。

那麼，那張卡住的臉呢？還在的，但阿丁已經不在意了。笑下笑下，不知不覺就鬆開了。有時候，早上還會卡一下，Ho Ho Ha Ha Ha...x 2 YGYG Yeah！也就沒事了。

完

Micro-story: Smile muscles: Rebooting... (by Tonkabean)

 

Ah Ding had been an account manager for eleven years. His greatest skill wasn't closing deals; it was crafting the perfect "corporate smile." He could roll his facial muscles into a precise angle—neither too cold nor too warm, neither completely true nor completely fake.

After eleven years of doing this, his face finally went on strike.

One morning, he woke up and found the corners of his mouth stuck in an upward position. He couldn’t bring them down. He looked like that while eating breakfast, while watching the news, and even when his wife kicked him awake in the middle of the night. He had become a wax figure that was forever saying, "Welcome!"

A client left him a review: "A fake smile is worse than no smile at all." One star.

Ah Ding did the math. One single star could wipe out twenty five-star reviews. The system now rated his average at 3.5 stars. As an account manager, this score was a total disaster. He couldn’t face anyone—his boss, his team, his mother, his wife, or his son.

Out of sheer despair, he went back to a Laughter Yoga class. The instructor didn't give any deep lectures. She simply asked everyone to do the "Lion Laughter"—stick out your tongue, widen your eyes, and roar from the depths of your throat. Ah Ding followed along. The muscles on his face stretched painfully, feeling like a rusted zipper being forced open.

That was when he realized that a real laugh doesn’t start from the face. The class notes said that a single hearty laugh can push 1,500 milliliters of stale air out of the lungs. He didn't really know how much 1,500 milliliters was, but he felt as if his lungs had been completely emptied, and then filled with something brand new.

Ah Ding thoroughly enjoyed this magical feeling. The instructor called out, "Inhale...!"

What he breathed in everyday was the exhaust from the subway, the bad mood of his boss, the complaints of his clients, and his own swallowed anger.

But Laughter Yoga allowed him to throw up all these toxic gases like vomit. It took all the bitterness he had been forced to swallow in life and let him spit it out in one long, deep exhale.

Now, whenever a client complained that his smile looked fake, he used it as a chance to promote Laughter Yoga. He would talk about "internal jogging," "diaphragm vibrations," and "the oxygen deep clean." His smile started out fake, but because he talked about it so much, it accidentally took on a strange, genuine passion.

So, what happened to his stuck face? It still gets stuck sometimes, but Ah Ding doesn’t care anymore. As he laughs day after day, the muscles have naturally loosened up. Occasionally, his mouth might still jam a little in the morning. He just goes, "Ho Ho Ha Ha Ha... x 2, YGYG Yeah!"—and just like that, he is totally fine.

End

日期 Date：6 July 2026

圖 Illustration: 人工智豆 (Ai-Bean)

文 Written by: 東加豆 (Tonkabean)

我除了寫微故事，還製作有聲書，希望我們能互相認識。

喜歡我的文章嗎？盼得到您的支持、點讚，或分享我的文章，讓我知道創作的路上有你陪伴。

Besides writing micro-stories, I also create audiobooks. I hope we can get to know each other.

Do you like my stories? I hope to have your support, likes, or shares. Let me know that you are with me on this creative journey.

關於我 /About me ：https://tonkabean.me/

故事選集 / Story Collection

https://tonkabean2016.blogspot.com/

https://matters.town/@tonkabean/collections

Micro-story: One Laugh is All It Takes to Relax (by Tonkabean) 

Uncle Ping saw a news headline today: (Three Seniors, One Fire Extinguisher, One Dead).

The news reported that a 56-year-old man was smoking at a gas station. A staff member tried to stop him, leading to an argument that quickly turned physical. The 62-year-old staff member grabbed a fire extinguisher and sprayed it wildly. The 64-year-old manager stepped in to stop them, only to be struck with great force by the snatched extinguisher. He fell unconscious instantly. A witness remarked, "He only hit him once... just once."

Uncle Ping shook his head and sighed, "One hit is all it takes to die. People these days have such short fuses."

Suddenly, a wave of worry washed over him. He had just had a huge fight with his son last night. He became genuinely terrified that one day, his son might pick up a fire extinguisher and strike him. He turned to his wife and said, "Fire extinguishers are bad luck. If they aren't used for fighting fires, people use them as weapons."

His wife replied, "Why don't you control your own temper instead? You are eighty years old and your internal fire is always burning. The fire extinguisher your son bought was meant to put out your fire, not to hit you."

Uncle Ping was reluctant to admit it, but deep down, he knew she was right. He decided to try Laughter Yoga, which his wife had been recommending.

During his first class, the teacher said, "Laughter requires no reason; it’s a choice." Uncle Ping opened his mouth, but nothing came out. He was still full of anger—angry at his stubborn son, angry at the reckless people in the news, and angry at himself for growing old and useless.

Then, a line from his training notes crossed his mind: "Anger and laughter are physiologically incompatible. You cannot be angry and laugh at the same time." The notes also mentioned a German study finding that the activation of the internal oblique muscles during laughter is even higher than doing sit-ups. Scientists call it "internal jogging." As it turns out, laughter is an intense internal workout for the body; you don’t wait for others to react before you start. 

He decided to force a laugh. "Ho Ho Ha Ha." The sound was dry, like a cough. But as he kept laughing, his abdomen began to vibrate. That heavy, suffocating feeling trapped in his chest felt as if it were being gently massaged away by an invisible hand. The burning fire in his chest didn't seem as intense anymore.

A few weeks later, his son came over for dinner. Before long, they were on the verge of arguing over another trivial matter. Uncle Ping took a deep breath and suddenly let out a sharp "Ha!"

His son was stunned. "What are you laughing at?"

Uncle Ping said, "Nothing. Just practicing."

Then his wife chimed in, "Haha, let me practice with you!"

Surprisingly, the son stood up and said, "Ha ha ha! Let me practice with you both!"

That night, no one mentioned the fire extinguisher. It sat quietly in the corner, gathering a thin layer of dust.

End

Date：29 June 2026

Illustration: Ai-Bean

Written by: Tonkabean

Besides writing micro-stories, I also create audiobooks. I hope we can get to know each other.

Do you like my stories? I hope to have your support, likes, or shares. Let me know that you are with me on this creative journey.

About me ：https://tonkabean.me/

Story Collection

https://tonkabean2016.blogspot.com/

https://matters.town/@tonkabean/collections

微故事: 客廳裡的播種期 / Planting Seeds in the Living Room (by Tonkabean)

微故事: 客廳裡的播種期 (東加豆)
Micro-story:  Planting Seeds in the Living Room　(by Tonkabean)

 

沙發兩端的距離，這是志明和秀英之間的一條界線，氣溫如南極。

志明總是把自己藏在報紙背後，像一隻自以為隱形的企鵝；秀英則沉迷於手機，彷彿在進行一場永無止境的滑屏探險。

然而最近，這個家悄悄出現了（氣候異常）。嚴格說來，異常的源頭不是客廳，而是秀英的體內。一切始於她誤交損友，那位損友叫大笑瑜伽，志明是這樣認為的。

秀英開始習慣無緣無故地笑。旁人的反應很統一。沉默，然後尷尬。同事、朋友、家人，一個個臉上面無表情，彷彿笑肌集體罷工。不過有一天，秀英在巴士站隨便抓了一個陌生人，邀請對方一起笑。結果那位陌生人比她笑得還大聲、還持久，簡直是職業級的水準。儘管她在廚房裡每天策劃一場無聲革命，遵從學術手冊的金科玉律——身體分不清假笑還是真笑，只要橫膈膜開始有節奏地震盪，大腦就會自動釋放快樂的化學煙火。然而，效果跟她想像大概差了十個馬拉松

。

秀英不再執著於志明那種依賴大腦刺激的冷漠回應。黃昏時，她對著緩緩上升的油煙，調動腹部肌肉，發出"哈、哈、哈" 的吐納。 那笑聲虛實難辨，有時像自嘲，有時像某種古老的寺廟早課。  

奇妙的是，這帶點荒謬的橫膈膜震動，竟然變成看不見的粉紅小粒子，在冰冷的空氣中散落。

那麼，志明呢？

最近，他覺得有點怪異，總之，不像以往踏進家門飄來一股冷冰冰，傳來了一陣陣說不清的舒適感。那黑黑的舊鍋鏟，在秀英手中揮舞時，連煎魚的劈啪聲都變得像輕快的敲擊樂。這種真真假假的笑聲，產生奇妙的心理效應。

現在，一到下班時間，他腦袋裡不再上演（要不要加班）的內心小劇場——家裡那團低氣壓，不知不覺消失了。

志明偷偷觀察秀英，她動不動就會做出一些古靈精怪的動作，一時扮獅子笑，即使沒有發出聲音，但嘴巴張得可以塞進一整個漢堡。家裡的空氣中浮動，滿地撒落愛的種子，土壤肥沃。"接下來...就要看自己了，彎下腰，一起灌溉。" 志明自言自語。

完

Micro-story: Planting Seeds in the Living Room (by Tonkabean)

 

The distance between the two ends of the sofa was a boundary between Chi Ming and Sau Ying. The temperature there was like the Antarctic.

Chi Ming always hid behind his newspaper, acting like a penguin who thought he was invisible. Sau Ying, on the other hand, was glued to her phone, as if on an endless scrolling adventure.

Recently, however, a subtle "climate change" happened in this home. To be exact, the source of this anomaly wasn't the living room, but inside Sau Ying's body. It all started when she fell into bad company. That "bad friend" was called Laughter Yoga—at least, that was what Chi Ming believed.

Sau Ying started laughing for no reason at all. People’s reactions were remarkably consistent: silence, followed by awkwardness. Colleagues, friends, and family members all stayed expressionless, as if their facial muscles had gone on a collective strike. But one day at a bus stop, Sau Ying randomly grabbed a stranger and invited them to laugh along. Surprisingly, that stranger laughed even louder and longer than she did, showing a truly professional standard.

Back home, she planned a silent revolution in the kitchen every day. She strictly followed the golden rule from her training manual: *the body cannot tell the difference between a fake laugh and a real laugh; as long as the diaphragm vibrates rhythmically, the brain will automatically release joyful chemical fireworks*. Yet, the actual results were still about ten marathons away from what she had imagined.

Sau Ying stopped obsessing over Chi Ming’s cold responses, which always depended on brain stimulation. At dusk, facing the rising cooking smoke, she engaged her abdominal muscles and exhaled rhythmically: "Ha, ha, ha." That laughter was hard to read. Sometimes it sounded like self-mockery; sometimes it felt like an ancient morning ritual in a temple.

Miraculously, these slightly absurd diaphragmatic vibrations turned into invisible little pink particles, drifting down through the cold air.

What about Chi Ming?

Lately, he felt something strange. In short, the usual wave of icy coldness that greeted him whenever he stepped through the front door was gone. Instead, there was a wave of indescribable comfort. As Sau Ying waved the blackened old spatula in her hand, even the sizzling sound of frying fish sounded like cheerful percussion music. This mix of real and fake laughter was creating a wonderful psychological effect.

Now, whenever it was time to leave work, the little drama in his head about "whether to work overtime" stopped playing. The heavy low pressure in the house had quietly vanished.

Chi Ming secretly observed Sau Ying. Every now and then, she would make quirky movements. Sometimes she practiced the "Lion Laugh"—even without making a sound, her mouth opened wide enough to fit a whole hamburger.

With love floating in the air, the seeds had been scattered all over the floor, and the soil was now rich and fertile.

"Next... it’s up to me. Time to bend down and water them together," Chi Ming muttered to himself.

End

日期 Date：22 June 2026

圖 Illustration: 人工智豆 (Ai-Bean)

文 Written by: 東加豆 (Tonkabean)

我除了寫微故事，還製作有聲書，希望我們能互相認識。

喜歡我的文章嗎？盼得到您的支持、點讚，或分享我的文章，讓我知道創作的路上有你陪伴。

Besides writing micro-stories, I also create audiobooks. I hope we can get to know each other.

Do you like my stories? I hope to have your support, likes, or shares. Let me know that you are with me on this creative journey.

關於我 /About me ：https://tonkabean.me/

故事選集 / Story Collection

https://tonkabean2016.blogspot.com/

https://matters.town/@tonkabean/collections

Micro-story: Ping-jai's Love Story (by Tonkabean)

Ping-jai was heartbroken. His life went back to the state of "two combs of bananas"—empty-handed with nothing left. His girlfriend’s eyes had become cold, and she left him without looking back. Every day, Ping-jai kept replaying the romantic memories of meeting her in heavy rain. He locked himself up in his own sad thoughts.

His good friend, Lei-ching, wanted to help. She brought him into a nightly Zoom Laughter Yoga class. Lei-ching was a Laughter Yoga Teacher. She knew that Ping-jai’s mind was stuck in the past, repeating his painful memories over and over again.

In the class, everyone started doing "Lion Laughter" and stretching. Ping-jai’s body was stiff, and his eyes were blank. Lei-ching watched him through the screen. She remembered the "University of Auckland Cardiovascular Regulation Study" from her notes. When a person is trapped in negative thinking, "simulated laughter" (laughing on purpose) actually works like a strong aerobic exercise. It can push the heart rate up to over 90 beats per minute and lower heart rate variability (rMSSD). By making the heart and lungs work fully through simple body movements, it builds a protective shield in the body to help handle stress and anxiety later on.

"Ping-jai, don’t worry about why you are laughing. Just move your body!" Lei-ching guided.

Ping-jai looked at all the moving boxes on the screen. At that moment, he felt this group of people—who just moved their bodies without asking for a reason—was like a safe shelter without any judgment. His mind was still hurting from the lost love, but the deep, regular breathing began to unlock his tight stomach. He breathed in and out. His diaphragm started to shake. Finally, a laugh came out from his belly. It was not because he felt happy, but because his body was finding its natural energy again through the physical rhythm.

At sunset, the two friends sat on a hill. Ping-jai’s eyes looked less worried and more relaxed.

Looking into the distance, Lei-ching suddenly said softly, "If your father had been like you, always trying to fix everything with his brain when facing a problem, I wonder what my life would be like?"

Ping-jai turned his head to look at her. The mountain breeze blew past, and they both stayed silent.

End

*Cultural Note : What does "Two combs of bananas" (兩梳蕉) mean?

This is a traditional Cantonese slang. Imagine a person walking with their arms hanging down loosely, looking like two combs of bananas hanging from their shoulders. It simply means *empty-handed*—you go somewhere with nothing, and you return with nothing. In this story, it describes how Ping-jai lost his love and felt he had absolutely nothing left in his life but his own two hands.

End

日期 Date：15 June 2026

圖 Illustration: 人工智豆 (Ai-Bean)

文 Written by: 東加豆 (Tonkabean)

我除了寫微故事，還製作有聲書，希望我們能互相認識。

喜歡我的文章嗎？盼得到您的支持、點讚，或分享我的文章，讓我知道創作的路上有你陪伴。

Besides writing micro-stories, I also create audiobooks. I hope we can get to know each other.

Do you like my stories? I hope to have your support, likes, or shares. Let me know that you are with me on this creative journey.

關於我 /About me ：https://tonkabean.me/

故事選集 / Story Collection

https://tonkabean2016.blogspot.com/

https://matters.town/@tonkabean/collections

微故事: Bili Bala (東加豆)
Micro-story: Bili Bala (by Tonkabean) 

那天，我被全世界拋棄了。

我叫阿恆，禍不單行。

上司在會議上搶了我的計劃書。

女友傳來一句："我們冷靜一下。"

阿媽打電話來："今天和你大哥吃飯，他塞了一萬元在我的衫袋，家用比以前多了一千三百元。"

我聽懂了。不需要解釋。五年來，我給母親的家用沒有變過，因為老闆給我的薪水，也沒有變過。

連我養的貓都跳上了衣櫃頂，不瞧我一眼，我只是換了一袋雜嘜牌的貓糧。

我打開Zoom，參加每晚的笑瑜伽課，螢幕上一張張笑臉像陽光下的花。只有我笑不出來。我的笑是假的，連喉嚨都在抗拒。

筆記寫得真好：只要動作到位，大腦皮質那層理性的防線會自動瓦解。這一刻，這個視訊方格成了我——阿恆——最安全的避難所...

我不需要對任何人解釋我的難過，只需要坐在這片共振裡，讓繃緊的橫膈膜和胃部重新找回彈力。然而，這一刻我未感受得到。

然後我看見了他——右上角那格畫面裡，一個中年男人，嘴角上揚的角度精準得像量過，眼神溫柔而空洞，半小時過去，姿勢、笑容、甚至眨眼的頻率都沒有變過，簡直神級！

他叫（Bili Bala)。

我的腦內開始上演小劇場：這人一定修練了十年，神經迴路已經重組到可以完全控制每一條面部肌肉。他的笑容不依賴幽默、不依賴情緒、甚至不依賴外部刺激——那是無條件大笑的最高境界。

我盯著他，嘴角不自覺地跟著上揚。假笑開始鬆動，橫膈膜震了一下，然後是第二下。我聽見自己發出（Ho Ho Ha Ha Ha）的聲音，像生鏽的機器重新轉動。三十分鐘後，我笑了，真正的笑，眼淚都擠了出來。

接著，完成了一分鐘和平大笑，即是跳舞之前。大笑帶領員清了清喉嚨說："各位，Bili Bala 今天的畫面在第一分鐘就當機了，但他一直沒有離開。Bili Bala 非常好！非常好！耶！

全場靜了。我意思，我的耳朵、我的嘴巴、我的呼吸，全部靜了兩秒。然後笑成一團。

我看著那張定格的笑臉，忽然覺得——畫面卡住了，但我卡住一整天的情緒，鬆開了。

完

Micro-story: Bili Bala (by Tonkabean)

 

That day, I was abandoned by the whole world.

My name is Ah Hang. Misfortunes never come alone.

My boss stole my project proposal during the meeting.

My girlfriend sent a message: "Let’s calm down for a bit."

Then my mom called: "I had dinner with your big brother today. He stuffed ten thousand dollars into my pocket. He gave me thirteen hundred dollars more for household expenses than before."

I understood perfectly. No explanation needed. For five years, the allowance I gave my mother had never changed, because the salary my boss gave me had never changed either.

Even my cat jumped onto the top of the wardrobe and wouldn't even look at me, just because I had switched to a cheap, no-brand cat food.

I opened Zoom to join the nightly Laughter Yoga class. On the screen, the smiling faces were like flowers in the sun. Only I couldn’t laugh. My smile was fake, and even my throat was resisting.

The notes put it so well: As long as you do the movements right, the logical defense of your cerebral cortex will automatically dissolve. At this moment, this video grid became my—Ah Hang’s—safest shelter.

I didn't need to explain my sadness to anyone. I just needed to sit in this resonance and let my tight diaphragm and stomach find their bounce again. However, at this very moment, I couldn't feel it yet.

Then I saw him—in the top right corner of the screen, a middle-aged man. The upward angle of his smile was so precise it looked measured. His eyes were gentle yet hollow. Half an hour passed, and his posture, his smile, and even his blinking frequency never changed once. He was simply god-level!

His name tag said (Bili Bala).

An imaginary show started playing in my head: This guy must have practiced for ten years. His neural pathways must have reshaped so much that he can completely control every single facial muscle. His smile didn’t rely on humor, emotion, or even external stimulus—that was the highest state of unconditional laughter.

I stared at him, and the corners of my mouth unconsciously turned up. My fake smile began to loosen. My diaphragm shook once, then twice. I heard myself making "Ho Ho Ha Ha Ha" sounds, like a rusty machine starting to turn again. Thirty minutes later, I laughed—a real laugh, and tears even squeezed out of my eyes.

Next, we finished the one-minute laughter for world peace, right before the laughing dance. The Laughter Leader cleared their throat and said, "Everyone, Bili Bala’s screen actually froze in the very first minute, but he never left. Bili Bala, Very Good! Very Good! Yeah!"

The whole room went dead silent. I mean... My ears, my mouth, my breathing—everything went quiet for two seconds. Then, everyone burst into laughter.

I looked at that frozen smiling face and suddenly felt—the screen was stuck, but my emotions, which had been stuck all day, finally broke free.

End

日期 Date：8 June 2026

圖 Illustration: 人工智豆 (Ai-Bean)

文 Written by: 東加豆 (Tonkabean)

我除了寫微故事，還製作有聲書，希望我們能互相認識。

喜歡我的文章嗎？盼得到您的支持、點讚，或分享我的文章，讓我知道創作的路上有你陪伴。

Besides writing micro-stories, I also create audiobooks. I hope we can get to know each other.

Do you like my stories? I hope to have your support, likes, or shares. Let me know that you are with me on this creative journey.

關於我 /About me ：https://tonkabean.me/

故事選集 / Story Collection

https://tonkabean2016.blogspot.com/

https://matters.town/@tonkabean/collections

Micro-story: The Bounce of a Football (by Tonkabean)

Long, long ago, there was a ball named "Ah Ball."

One day, it was rolling around on a green lawn. Later, a boy who was feeling down spotted it. He gently tapped Ah Ball with the tip of his toe, and then gave it a kick. Instantly, the boy felt much lighter.

When Ah Ball was being tapped and kicked, it felt a very strange but pleasant sensation. Since it was strange and pleasant, Ah Ball treated it as a game, and gradually, it grew to love this game.

However, Ah Ball’s friends mocked it, saying, "You get kicked around all day, not just by one person, but by a whole crowd!" Ah Ball even heard the animals outside the lawn laughing at it—the four-legged ones and the ones that could fly were all laughing. Ah Ball began to wonder: Am I doomed to spend the rest of my life on this lawn? It decided to visit a psychologist.

The nurse handed Ah Ball’s initial physical assessment to the doctor. Looking at Ah Ball, who had lost its bounce, the doctor didn't talk about the meaning of life. Instead, he opened a notebook on Laughter Yoga and said, "Where is your mouth? Can you give me a smile?"

So, Ah Ball carved out a mouth on the edge of its leather skin and squeezed out a forced smile.

The doctor told Ah Ball, "The body cannot tell the difference between a real smile and a fake one. As long as you keep practicing, your neural pathways will reshape, and happiness will be carved into your body's memory." Ah Ball was completely confused, but its eyes grew wide and round.

This theory was clearly written for humans, but the doctor didn't care—in his eyes, humans and footballs were pretty much the same.

Listening to this, Ah Ball suddenly remembered the boy’s laughter when kicking it. That sound was like the vibration of a diaphragm, bringing excitement and comfort at the same time.

One day, Ah Ball was kicked far away by a child and suddenly heard a burst of sound. It was a familiar laughter with a familiar rhythm. Ah Ball was sure it was that group of animals again. This time, up close, it felt a bit nervous, but it still rolled its round body forward. This time, it heard it clearly. It wasn't the blurry laughter from before, but a perfectly organized: "Ho Ho Ha Ha... Very Good, Very Good, Yeah!"

Ah Ball suddenly realized the truth: the animals weren't laughing at it. They were doing some kind of practice—Breathing? Exercise? Laughing? A game? It wasn't sure. But Ah Ball rolled a bit too far and was spotted. Everyone stared at each other, and the air suddenly went quiet.

Suddenly, Ah Ball remembered the doctor’s words: Laugh!

Even though its laughter was quite awkward, the animals knew a lot about laughing and welcomed it warmly. The barrier was broken instantly. Laughter doesn't care whether you are an animal, a plant, or a toy.

Laughter injected a new bounce into Ah Ball. From then on, whenever it was kicked far away, it wasn't in a hurry to roll back. Instead, it took the chance to roll over and share a laugh with everyone!

The End

日期 Date：2 June 2026

圖 Illustration: 人工智豆 (Ai-Bean)

文 Written by: 東加豆 (Tonkabean)

我除了寫微故事，還製作有聲書，希望我們能互相認識。

喜歡我的文章嗎？盼得到您的支持、點讚，或分享我的文章，讓我知道創作的路上有你陪伴。

Besides writing micro-stories, I also create audio books. I hope we can get to know each other.

Do you like my stories? I hope to have your support, likes, or shares. Let me know that you are with me on this creative journey.

關於我 /About me ：https://tonkabean.me/

故事選集 / Story Collection

https://tonkabean2016.blogspot.com/

https://matters.town/@tonkabean/collections

微故事: 大笑癮 vs 愛情癮 (東加豆) Micro-story: Laughter Addiction vs. Love Addiction (by Tonkabean)

九十四歲的爺爺喝了一口茶，忽然看著阿丁說： " 我常懷疑，究竟你嫲嫲是毒品，還是愛情本身就是毒品？ " 爺爺說不知道，因為他一生人就只有嫲嫲這個女人，嫲嫲=女人、女人=嫲嫲，從此，他對覺得女人都是（生人勿近）。

阿丁聽得一愣。他想起自己每天練習的大笑瑜伽，只要兩三天沒有刻意大笑，身體就像戒毒般周身不自然。

曾幾何時，阿丁對大笑瑜伽也充滿熱情，甚至激情，日日期待，天天追練。那時多巴胺瘋狂分泌，期待每次橫膈膜震動帶來的強烈亢奮。

突然，有一天他靜了下來。 

不，不是突然，是逐漸停下來，阿丁有一種莫名其妙的擔心。

爺爺說："激情會過去，友愛才真實。"

阿丁和爺爺說起大笑瑜伽的事情，但爺爺卻把話題回到嫲嫲身上，來來去去都說嫲嫲與他的恩怨情仇! 無錯, 他是用(恩怨情仇)來形容他與嫲嫲的婚姻關係，甚至用武俠片來形容和嫲嫲的相處方式，你一招我一掌，但從來沒有內傷過，心裡各自都有一個武術指導。一個九十四歲的老人，思路卻很清晰。

那天爺爺的毒品論，阿丁翻開大笑筆記，讀到（持續練習能重塑大腦的科學根據）。他忽然覺得：初期的無條件大笑靠的是激情推動，但長久下來，化學反應會退潮，大腦早已建立起穩固的神經迴路，將它刻進了身體記憶。

這不是不愛，而是激情過後，演變成了最踏實的（友愛）。

每天的線上練習，阿丁都為自己打開大笑之門，奇妙的是，每當投入地笑，笑完之後，都有一種豁然開朗。還有一些熟悉的面孔，儘管不常聊天，但看見大家規律地呼吸、做同一種動作、掛著一致的笑容，心裡就踏實。

"其實你知不知道我在說什麼" 阿丁笑著問爺爺。

爺爺也笑了笑："那你又知不知道我在說什麼？如果你知道我在說什麼，我就知道你在說什麼。"

"你曾有過大笑癮，我也有過愛情癮。但如果缺少了這種癮，我們的人生就會很笨。"

完

Micro-story: Laughter Addiction vs. Love Addiction (by Tonkabean)

The ninety-four-year-old grandfather took a sip of tea, suddenly looked at Ah Ding, and said, "I often wonder, was your grandmother a drug, or is love itself the drug?" Grandfather said he didn't know, because she was the only woman he had ever had in his life. To him, Grandmother equaled woman, and woman equaled Grandmother.  After her, he felt all women were "Keep Away."

Ah Ding was stunned. He thought of his daily Laughter Yoga practice. If he went just two or three days without laughing on purpose, his body would feel totally uncomfortable, just like going through withdrawal.

Once upon a time, Ah Ding was full of passion—even obsession—for Laughter Yoga. He looked forward to it every day and practiced relentlessly. Back then, dopamine was pumping wildly, and he craved the intense excitement brought by every vibration of his diaphragm.

Then, one day, he quieted down.

No, it wasn't sudden. It stopped gradually, leaving Ah Ding with a strange kind of worry.

Grandfather said, "Passion will pass; companionate love is what’s real."

Ah Ding tried to talk to Grandfather about Laughter Yoga, but Grandfather always brought the conversation back to Grandmother. He kept talking about his love-hate relationship with her! That’s right, he used the words "love and hate" to describe his marriage. He even used martial arts movies to describe how they got along—you throw a punch, I return a palm, but neither ever got hurt inside, because each had their own martial arts director in their heart. For a ninety-four-year-old man, his mind was incredibly sharp.

Hearing Grandfather’s drug theory that day, Ah Ding opened his Laughter Yoga notes and read about the scientific proof that consistent practice can reshape the brain. He suddenly realized: in the beginning, unconditional laughter is driven by passion. But over time, the chemical reaction fades. The brain has already built stable neural pathways, carving it into the body's memory.

This wasn't a loss of love. It was passion evolving into the most grounded kind of companionate love.

During the online sessions every day, Ah Ding opened the door to laughter for himself. The magical thing was, whenever he laughed wholeheartedly, he felt completely enlightened afterward. Seeing those familiar faces—even though they didn't chat often—breathing regularly, making the same movements, and wearing the same smiles made his heart feel grounded, comfortable, and at peace.

"Do you actually know what I’m talking about?" Ah Ding asked Grandfather with a smile.

Grandfather smiled too. "Then do you know what I’m talking about? If you know what I’m talking about, then I know what you’re talking about."

He added, "You once had a laughter addiction, and I had a love addiction. But if we lacked this kind of addiction, our lives would be pretty foolish.

End.

寫作日期：2026年5月26日 

完成時間 : 16:36pm

圖 Illustration: 人工智豆 (Ai-Bean)

文 Written by: 東加豆 (Tonkabean)

我除了寫微故事，還製作有聲書，希望我們能互相認識。

喜歡我的文章嗎？盼得到您的支持、點讚，或分享我的文章，讓我知道創作的路上有你陪伴。

Besides writing micro-stories, I also create audio books. I hope we can get to know each other.

Do you like my stories? I hope to have your support, likes, or shares. Let me know that you are with me on this creative journey.

關於我 /About me ：https://tonkabean.me/

故事選集 / Story Collection

https://tonkabean2016.blogspot.com/

https://matters.town/@tonkabean/collections

Micro-story: Overtime and Ho Ho Ha  (by Tonkabean)

Ah Bing has a Laughter Yoga class every evening. It’s the only time she can give her body an "internal jogging." Scientists say laughter massages internal organs, improves blood circulation, and activates the diaphragm—which in turn stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system (the part of us responsible for relaxation).

At 5:30 PM, Ah Bing stands up to leave. Supervisor Ah Nga stares at her again. In this office, leaving on time feels like breaking a school rule. Ah Bing tried staying until 7:00 PM;  Supervisor stopped staring and even chatted with her. But Ah Bing felt exhausted—her chest was tight, her shoulders were stiff, and she couldn't laugh.  She remembered the 40 Foundation Exercises manual: *Practice laughter for 40 days, and your brain will create new neural pathways, making laughter an automatic response.* But with all this overtime, she didn't even have the chance to start her 40 days.

One day, she left on time and waited at the elevator. Sister Nga ran over and demanded, "Have you finished your work?" There were other people around. Ah Bing felt extremely embarrassed and could only say, "My 'finished' might be different from your 'finished'." Someone nearby laughed. From that day on, life at work became hard for her.

One day, her boss sent her to the warehouse for an inventory check. She pushed open a door she had never noticed and walked into a dark corridor. The people inside had lifeless eyes and dark circles so deep they looked like smoky eye makeup. She remembered her notes: *Stress makes breathing shallow, causing carbon dioxide to build up and trigger anxiety.* She began to take deep breaths from her diaphragm—the very first thing she learned in Laughter Yoga.

She pushed open another door. An old man sat there with deep, soulful eyes. "Another poor soul," he said.

"How many minutes do you laugh every day?" the old man asked.

Ah Bing was shocked. Someone here was actually talking about *laughing*! In this office culture, even one second of joy was considered wasteful. People worked like machines, every minute producing, every face serious.

Ah Bing didn't know how to answer at first.

"People here wait until they 'finish everything' before they laugh," the old man said. "Are you the same?"

Finish...? "My 'finished,' your 'finished,' and her 'finished' might all be different!" This was the first thing Ah Bing said to him.

Then, Ah Bing turned to face the wall and did a "Silent Laughter."

Suddenly, the old man raised both hands, palms to palms, fingers to fingers, and started: "Ho Ho Ha Ha Ha... Ho Ho Ha Ha Ha!"

Ah Bing was stunned. Someone here actually knew "Ho Ho Ha Ha Ha"! Who was this man? Before she could ask, the old man vanished. It was a long corridor; even walking fast would take five minutes, so how could an old man disappear so quickly?

She felt a moment of panic, but the "Ho Ho Ha Ha" echoed in her mind, calming her down. She remembered the rule of "Fake it until you make it"—the body cannot tell the difference between real and fake laughter. As long as she laughed, she would release endorphins. She didn't need to wait until the work was "finished" to be happy.

She closed her eyes and suddenly did the "Lion Laughter." Like a little girl, she clawed her hands, stuck out her tongue, and let out a roar! Then, "Ho Ho Ha Ha!" The sound echoed through the warehouse. When she opened her eyes, the mysterious, dim light in the corridor seemed to fade away, washed out by the sound of her laughter.

She turned and ran, pushing through door after door. When she got back to the office, her watch said 10:00 PM. She had clearly only been gone for fifteen minutes.

Ah Bing felt a bit flustered, but she smiled as she packed her things and left the pitch-black office. Although she missed her Laughter Yoga class today, she had learned a lesson: even if you have to work overtime, you can still laugh it off.

Date：15 May 2026

Time: 14:34pm

Picture: Ai-Bean

Write: Tonkabean

Besides writing micro-stories, I also create audio books. I hope we can get to know each other.

Do you like my stories? I hope to have your support, likes, or shares. Let me know that you are with me on this creative journey.

About me ：https://tonkabean.me/

Story Collection

https://tonkabean2016.blogspot.com/

https://matters.town/@tonkabean/collections