SCRIPTS
免費薑汁蛋糕的故事
第一幕
冬日裡，寒風中，街道上唯一的溫暖是家家戶戶緊閉的窗戶裡透出來的燈光。一位拾荒老人，穿著單薄破舊的褲子，破爛褪色的夾克，開口笑的陳年皮鞋，吃力地推著三輪車。車上一捆捆廢紙、廢塑膠、廢玻璃，是老人和年幼的孫子，活過這個年關的唯一依靠。
老人推著三輪車路過熱鬧的大街、高級住宅區、豪華飯店、高級酒店，一路承受路人鄙夷不屑的眼神，踽踽而行，經過安靜的普通住宅區，最後來到山腳下無人煙的一個破爛鐵皮屋前。
老人：小寶，小寶，爺爺回來啦。
小寶：（開心地打開鐵皮屋破洞的舊門）爺爺！你回來了！
老人：小寶～在家有沒有乖乖的呀？
小寶：小寶很乖呀～小寶今天有做晚飯給爺爺吃噢！
老人：真的呀？爺爺好高興阿～來來～別站在外面，很冷的，我們進去吧。
（兩人進了鐵皮屋）
小寶：爺爺你看～～～～鐺鐺！
（小寶從磚頭搭起的簡易火爐上，拿起鍋和蓋不成套的老舊炊具，把鍋裡的東西秀給爺爺看）
（爺爺往鍋裡看，原來小寶把昨天和今天的剩飯混在一起加熱了）
爺爺：噢～～小寶好棒阿！看起來好好吃呀！爺爺今天帶了菜回來呦～（說著拿出一個撿來的吃剩的排骨便當）
小寶：哇～～好棒呀，有肉呢！
（祖孫倆就在簡易爐火微弱的光與熱，以及彼此的陪伴下，吃著晚餐）
第二幕
- 天氣比較晴朗，老人就帶著孫子一起拾荒，一路上有人指指點點，但祖孫
倆不顧旁人眼光，一起玩得很開心。
兩人在百貨公司和電影院的廣場和開放大廳遊走，祖孫倆最喜歡在這裡拾荒，因為不用擔心風雨和寒冷，這裡的垃圾桶還時有寶藏，甚至有可能找到沒有動過的可樂或漢堡和炸雞。
兩旁的商店不時飄出香味，小寶被一家蛋糕店的香濃甜蜜吸引住，不肯離開。
爺爺：小寶，小寶，我們站在這裡會給人家添麻煩的！
小寶：爺爺！我想吃這個！（小寶指著櫥窗裡的草莓蛋糕）
爺爺：這…但是爺爺沒有錢，沒辦法買…
小寶：沒有錢！沒有錢！爺爺總是沒有錢！別的小朋友可以上學，我不行！別的小朋友可以吃蛋糕，我不行！因為爺爺沒有錢！
（小寶氣呼呼地大喊，隨後跑掉）
爺爺：哎呀，小寶別亂跑！（爺爺擔心小寶走失，單手一拉車子就要跑起來，卻忘記自己是個老人，一下子腳就扭到了）
（這時蛋糕店裡的人一臉不高興地出來趕人）
蛋糕店店員：我是很同情你們，但是你們妨礙我做生意了！這給你，去去！走開！（店員塞給老人一塊已經發霉的蛋糕）
（老人一邊道歉一邊拖著扭傷的腳，勉強推著三輪車，焦急地尋找孫子）
老人：小寶～小寶～小寶阿～
（老人從白天找到傍晚，從傍晚找到夜晚，從夜晚找到凌晨，滴水未進，沒有休息，受傷的腳已經腫脹發紫，老人還是一遍又一遍地呼喊孫子的名字）
老人：小寶～小寶～小寶阿～
（小寶其實一直偷偷跟著爺爺，但就是不肯出聲）
（突然，爺爺倒下了，路人一陣驚呼，將老人圍起來。驚嚇的小寶趕忙推開人群來到爺爺身邊）
小寶：爺爺！爺爺！小寶在這裡，你怎麼了！
爺爺：阿…小寶…你沒事就好，你看，你看，蛋糕店的人給爺爺一塊蛋糕噢，來，小寶吃吧，小寶和其他小朋友一樣有蛋糕吃了…（在小寶流著淚接過蛋後，爺爺永遠地睡了。）
第三幕
小寶被社福機構照顧，被一戶好心人家收養，小寶和爺爺的故事才被社會大眾知道。人們紛紛表示同情，但是對小寶和爺爺來說，實在太晚了。
小寶感念爺爺對他的愛，以及對爺爺的歉疚，在好心人家的照顧下，一天天茁壯。
最後小寶出國到藍帶學校拿到廚師資格，回國開了一家蛋糕店。
蛋糕店每日生意興隆。
客人：哎呀，老闆，你們家麵包和蛋糕就是比別家好吃！是加了什麼呀？
小寶：呵呵呵，愛。
客人：老闆你真愛開玩笑～～～
另一位客人：老闆：你店門前面總是擺著一大盤薑汁蛋糕，還是免費無限量供應，你這樣不會虧錢嗎？
小寶：呵呵，虧錢我也要這樣做。希望需要的人，能吃飽又暖，也能感到幸福。
（說著小寶看向天空，想到爺爺和以前的自己，他知道爺爺，就在那片天的某處，對自己微笑）
完.
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The Story of the Free Ginger Cake
Act One
In the depths of winter, amid biting winds, the only warmth on the streets comes from the lights glowing behind tightly shut windows.
An elderly scavenger, dressed in thin, tattered trousers, a faded and torn jacket, and a pair of old leather shoes split open at the toes, struggles to push a three-wheeled cart forward.
Bundled on the cart are stacks of discarded paper, plastic, and glass—
the only means by which the old man and his young grandson can survive this turn of the year.
He pushes the cart past bustling main roads, upscale residential areas, luxury hotels, and grand establishments, enduring the scornful and disdainful glances of passersby. Step by step, he moves on alone, through a quiet, ordinary neighborhood, until he finally reaches a dilapidated tin shack at the foot of a mountain, far from any sign of life.
Grandfather:
Xiao Bao, Xiao Bao—Grandpa’s home.
Xiao Bao:
(opening the broken, hole-riddled metal door with delight)
Grandpa! You’re back!
Grandfather:
Xiao Bao~ Were you good at home today?
Xiao Bao:
Of course! Xiao Bao was very good~
I even made dinner for Grandpa today!
Grandfather:
Really? Grandpa is so happy~
Come, come—don’t stand outside. It’s cold. Let’s go in.
(They enter the tin shack.)
Xiao Bao:
Grandpa, look~~~~ Ta-da!
(Xiao Bao lifts a pot from a simple stove built of stacked bricks, using mismatched, old cookware, and proudly shows its contents.)
(The grandfather looks inside the pot. Xiao Bao has reheated yesterday’s and today’s leftover rice together.)
Grandfather:
Oh~~ Xiao Bao, you’re amazing!
It looks delicious!
Grandpa brought some food back too—
(He takes out a half-eaten boxed meal with leftover pork ribs that he picked up.)
Xiao Bao:
Wow~~ That’s great! There’s meat!
(Under the faint light and warmth of the small stove, accompanied only by each other, the grandfather and grandson share their dinner.)
Act Two
On a clearer day, the grandfather brings Xiao Bao along to scavenge.
People point and whisper along the way, but the two of them ignore the stares and play happily together.
They wander through department stores, cinemas, and open indoor plazas. These places are their favorite spots—no wind, no rain, no cold. The trash bins here often hide treasures: sometimes an unopened soda, sometimes untouched hamburgers or fried chicken.
From the shops on either side drift rich, tempting aromas.
Xiao Bao is drawn to the sweet scent from a cake shop and refuses to leave.
Grandfather:
Xiao Bao, Xiao Bao, we shouldn’t stand here.
We’ll cause trouble for the shop.
Xiao Bao:
Grandpa! I want this!
(He points at a strawberry cake in the display window.)
Grandfather:
Th-this… but Grandpa doesn’t have money.
I can’t buy it…
Xiao Bao:
No money! No money!
Grandpa never has money!
Other kids can go to school—I can’t!
Other kids can eat cake—I can’t!
Because Grandpa has no money!
(Xiao Bao shouts angrily, then runs off.)
Grandfather:
Hey! Xiao Bao, don’t run away!
(Worried that Xiao Bao might get lost, the grandfather grabs the cart with one hand and tries to run—forgetting that he is old. He twists his ankle and collapses.)
(At that moment, a cake shop employee comes out, visibly annoyed.)
Cake Shop Employee:
I do feel sorry for you, but you’re affecting my business!
Here—take this and go! Go away!
(The employee stuffs a piece of moldy cake into the grandfather’s hands.)
(Apologizing repeatedly, the grandfather drags his injured leg, painfully pushing the cart as he desperately searches for his grandson.)
Grandfather:
Xiao Bao~ Xiao Bao~ Xiao Bao~
(He searches from daytime to evening, from evening to night, from night until dawn. He has not eaten or rested. His injured foot is swollen and turning purple, yet he continues calling his grandson’s name again and again.)
Grandfather:
Xiao Bao~ Xiao Bao~ Xiao Bao~
(In fact, Xiao Bao has been secretly following Grandpa the whole time, but refuses to answer.)
(Suddenly, the grandfather collapses. Passersby cry out in alarm and gather around him. Terrified, Xiao Bao pushes through the crowd and rushes to his side.)
Xiao Bao:
Grandpa! Grandpa! I’m here!
What’s wrong?!
Grandfather:
Ah… Xiao Bao…
As long as you’re safe, that’s all that matters…
Look… look…
The cake shop gave Grandpa a piece of cake.
Here—Xiao Bao, eat it.
Now you can have cake too, just like the other children…
(As Xiao Bao takes the cake with tears streaming down his face, the grandfather falls into an eternal sleep.)
Act Three
Xiao Bao is taken into the care of social welfare services and later adopted by a kind family.
Only then does the story of Xiao Bao and his grandfather become known to the public.
People express sympathy—but for Xiao Bao and his grandfather, it is far too late.
Grateful for his grandfather’s love and burdened with guilt, Xiao Bao grows stronger day by day under the care of his new family.
Eventually, Xiao Bao travels abroad, attends Le Cordon Bleu, and earns his chef’s certification. After returning home, he opens a cake shop of his own.
The shop thrives with business every day.
Customer:
Wow, boss, your bread and cakes are better than anywhere else!
What do you put in them?
Xiao Bao:
(chuckles)
Love.
Customer:
Haha, you’re joking, boss~
Another Customer:
Boss, you always place a big tray of ginger cake in front of your shop—
free and unlimited.
Won’t you lose money doing that?
Xiao Bao:
(smiling)
Even if I lose money, I’ll still do it.
I hope those who need it can eat their fill, feel warm,
and feel happiness too.
(As he speaks, Xiao Bao looks up at the sky, thinking of his grandfather and his younger self. He knows that somewhere beyond that sky, his grandfather is smiling at him.)
The End.
