Micro-story: The Pigs Who Couldn't Lie (by Tonkabean)

 

On this farm, a new rule was made: No pig is allowed to lie. However, reports showed that lying is a pig’s natural instinct. Hearing this news, Kiki and Fifi were deeply worried. Their brother, Pipi, was always lazy and only did 70% of his work. For example, if he was supposed to change the trash bags three times a day, he would only do it twice. If he was supposed to guard the farm five times, he would only go three times. Whenever he was caught, he always made up excuses. That was just Pipi’s work attitude.

Rules were rules, but obeying this one changed the farm in a strange way. The whole place fell into a dead silence. Every pig became as lonely as a heavy, unmovable stone. Their facial muscles became completely stiff. Forcing them not to lie was like forcing them not to speak. It was deeply depressing.

In this quiet farm, Kiki noticed a very skinny pig. He was so thin that he barely looked like a pig. Because he was too skinny to be sold for money, he ended up doing various chores for the farmer, yet he carried an amazing amount of energy.

Fifi felt sorry for the skinny pig and began to watch him. But to her surprise, he didn't look miserable at all. She even doubted her own eyes—why did the skinny pig always seem to be smiling? She couldn't help but walk closer. He really was laughing, and he was doing it out loud! She thought, If there's nothing wrong with my eyes, then my ears must be playing tricks on me!

It turned out that the skinny pig loved to laugh. He loved laughing even more than he loved eating! Gradually, he had much less fat than the other pigs, and he wasn't as lazy as them either. He began to share his Laughter Yoga. Especially when the new rule was announced, the pigpen was filled with emotional stress. The skinny pig wrinkled his nose and let out a big, 'Ho Ho Ha Ha... Anyway, just laugh first!' Soon, the other pigs started laughing along, too. 'Yes, yes, yes! Real or fake, it doesn't matter. Just laugh first!' a female pig said."

Kiki and Fifi felt a bit awkward. If the laugh was fake, where was the fun? Besides, how was this any different from lying? Wasn't this just another form of cheating?

The skinny pig smiled and patted their shoulders. "In the science of Laughter Yoga, this is called the two-way link between body and mind. Whatever action your body performs, it generates a corresponding emotion in your mind. This is not cheating; it is a gentle rebellion of the body against the brain. When the brain stops judging whether life is funny or not, it bypasses the cognitive braking system that blocks our joy..." The skinny pig went on and on.

Fifi scratched her forehead and said, "That sounds way too complicated. You talk like you're speaking to humans. But I am a pig."

The skinny pig laughed and said, "Before you eat, do you stop and think, 'I am about to eat, but am I really hungry?' No, you don't! You just eat first! Laughter works the same way. Just laugh, and your brain will follow. It’s just like rolling around in the mud. Do you stop and ask yourself, 'Am I rolling the right way?' No! You just roll! Laughter is exactly the same." The skinny pig shrugged.

Kiki and Fifi looked at each other. They decided to drop all logic, let go of their doubts, and just give this "Ho Ho Ha Ha" a try!

Two pigs laughed very shyly.

Ten pigs laughed quite easily.

A hundred pigs laughed beautifully and brightly.

Eventually, Kiki and Fifi got used to laughing for no reason. Laughter itself became the reason. And the wonderful thing was, laughing this way still brought them pure, true joy.

End

Date：31 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

微故事: 我跟阿媽去班加羅爾 (東加豆) Micro-story: My Bangalore Trip with Mom (by Tonkabean)

微故事: 我跟阿媽去班加羅爾 (東加豆)

 

我阿媽話要去班加羅爾參加大笑瑜伽導師課程。

佢六十七歲，退休後學過太多嘢：氣功、畫畫、種花、上網賣嘢。次次都話「今次真係搵到人生意義」，三個月後就放棄。今次輪到大笑瑜伽。

「你同我去。」佢話。

「我唔去。」

「機票買咗。」

「我份工……」

「你請假。」

「我冇錢。」

「我用你啲積蓄買嘅。」

我阿媽就係咁。佢永遠唔會同你講「我想你去」，佢只會令你冇得揀。

班加羅爾好熱。工作坊喺一個冇冷氣嘅禮堂，三百人坐地下，拍手喊「Ho Ho Ha Ha」。我坐最後排，諗緊公司嗰份報告星期一要交，但我仲未開始寫。

導師話：「身體分唔清真笑假笑，只要願意……」

我內心話：「我身體分得清乜嘢叫做攰。」

旁邊一個外國人笑到成個彈弓咁，啲眼淚飛咗落我隻手。我望住佢，心想：佢究竟經歷過啲咩？

課程進入「Laughter Meditation」。導師叫我哋瞓低、合埋眼，讓笑聲從身體入面自己流出來。我瞓低。腦入面開始盤點：今個月卡數、阿媽嘅血壓藥、老細上星期黑面嗰下眼神……

然後後面一個阿叔發出一下好似放屁嘅笑聲。真係好似放屁。

我忍唔住。唔係笑，係「哧」一聲，一啖氣從我個鼻噴咗出嚟。

然後我隔離嗰個外國人聽到，又笑多咗。

然後前面個阿姨聽到後面笑，又轉頭望。

然後成個禮堂好似傳染病咁，一個傳一個。

我笑到眼淚出晒嚟，笑到個肚好痛。唔係因為好笑，係因為我發現自己喺印度、喺一個冇冷氣嘅禮堂、同三百個陌生人一齊笑，而我阿媽喺我前面，笑到成個細路女咁。

我上一次見佢笑得咁開心，係我七歲嗰年。

課程完咗。我返到香港，繼續返工、繼續交卡數、繼續面對老細黑面。

但有一樣嘢唔同咗。

我而家每個禮拜六，會同阿媽去公園，同十幾個阿叔阿嬸一齊「Ho Ho Ha Ha」。

我唔知呢樣嘢有冇意義。

我只係知，每次我笑完，夜晚都瞓得好啲。

完

Micro-story:  My Bangalore Trip with Mom (by Tonkabean)

 

My mom announced that she was going to Bangalore to take the Laughter Yoga Teacher Training course.

She is sixty-seven years old. Since retiring, she has tried everything: Qigong, painting, gardening, and online selling. Every single time, she would say, "This time, I’ve truly found the meaning of life." Three months later, she would give up. This time, it was Laughter Yoga.

"You are coming with me," she said.

"I’m not going."

"The flight tickets are bought."

"But my job..."

"Take leave."

"I don't have the money."

"I bought them using your savings."

That’s my mom. She never says "I want you to come." She just leaves you with no choice.

Bangalore was boiling hot. The workshop was held in a hall with no air conditioning. Three hundred people sat on the floor, clapping and chanting "Ho Ho Ha Ha." I sat in the very last row, thinking about a company report due on Monday that I hadn't even started writing.

The teacher said, "The body cannot tell the difference between real and fake laughter. As long as you are willing..."

In my heart, I thought, *My body can definitely tell what exhaustion feels like.*

Next to me, a foreigner was laughing so hard he was bouncing like a spring, and a few tears splashed onto my hand. I looked at him and wondered, *What on earth has this guy been through?*

Then, we entered the "Laughter Meditation." The teacher asked us to lie down, close our eyes, and let the laughter flow naturally from inside our bodies. I lay down. My mind started listing my worries: this month's credit card bill, my mom's blood pressure medicine, the dark look my boss gave me last week...

Suddenly, a middle-aged man behind me let out a laugh that sounded exactly like a fart. Literally, like a fart.

I couldn't help it. It wasn't a proper laugh, but a "pfft" sound as air burst out of my nose.

The foreigner next to me heard it and started laughing even harder.

Then an auntie in front of us heard the laughter behind her and turned around to look.

Suddenly, like a contagion, the laughter spread from one person to another across the entire hall.

I laughed until tears streamed down my face, and my stomach began to hurt. It wasn't because anything was actually funny. It was because I realized I was in India, in a hall with no air conditioning, laughing with three hundred strangers—and right in front of me was my mom, laughing just like a little girl.

The last time I saw her laugh that happily, I was seven years old.

The course ended. I returned to Hong Kong, continued going to work, paying my credit card bills, and facing my boss’s dark expressions.

But one thing changed.

Now, every Saturday, I go to the park with my mom and join a dozen aunties and uncles to "Ho Ho Ha Ha."

I don't know if this has any grand meaning.

All I know is, every time after I laugh, I sleep much better at night.

End

日期 Date：10 August 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:  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