Chapter 70
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Translator: Wjin
Chapter: 70
Chapter Title: Artificial Meat Rice?
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Yi Eoksang's resolve wavered at the promise of new batteries.
But soon enough, trusting Kangyul, he rummaged through his bag and handed over the batteries.
They were AAA batteries, packaged in a set of twelve.
There were faint traces of seawater exposure, but they were still in decent shape.
"You have to buy them for me."
Yi Eoksang filmed Kangyul with the hidden camera under his wrist, as if recording evidence.
Kangyul smirked at the sight and nodded.
'He was so bold jumping off the boat, but yeah, people change based on the situation.'
"Don't worry. Just trust me."
Kangyul tucked the batteries carefully into his pocket and wandered around the nearby stalls.
He poked around, asking battery prices and checking the market rates for various goods.
Eventually, Kangyul arrived at a stall piled high with clothes.
With food so scarce here, clothes were priced far cheaper than rice.
"Mr. Yi, pick out the cleanest outfit here."
"The clothes I'm wearing now are fine."
Kangyul eyed Yi Eoksang's outfit.
It was a black tracksuit with a Nike hoodie.
But soaked in seawater and caked in dirt from rolling around, it looked in terrible condition.
"It's too flashy. First things first, we need to shed that flower kid or raccoon dog vibe. And beyond that, blending in like locals will make moving around easier."
Kangyul picked up a brownish suit-like outfit and handed it to Yi Eoksang.
It looked like the standard going-out clothes for adult men around here.
"Size seems about right."
Kangyul also selected clothes suitable for kids his age.
No brand names, but they were clean and odor-free.
"Mister, we'll take these. How much?"
"3,000 won. No money? Scram."
The stall owner glanced at Kangyul and Yi Eoksang before speaking.
He was a man who looked just like Wang Sserang, with a big mole next to his nose.
3,000 North Korean won could buy six bowls of corn noodle soup.
Yi Eoksang, standing beside him, started to protest in disbelief, but Kangyul stopped him.
'Obviously, he's angling for a haggle.'
"If we had 3,000 won, we'd buy rice porridge instead! How about swapping for the clothes we're wearing? This guy's got Nike on. Nike! And it's genuine!"
"Nike? What Nike from mud-crawling maggots!"
Kangyul told Yi Eoksang to take off his hoodie.
He then lifted the authenticity tag on the neckline to show it off.
"See this? Not some cheap Chinese knockoff—it's the real deal imported from Korea. Looks dirty now, but the material's top-notch."
"Hmm. Fair enough. Fine, I'll throw in 1,000 North Korean won."
Kangyul grinned as the price dropped sharply.
"Come on, what're you saying? For this Nike tee, Levi's jeans, and even what I'm wearing in exchange..."
"So how much? Or just swap straight up?"
"No way. You gotta add more, mister! Mine are all genuine too!"
Kangyul took off his shirt to show it.
"Flower kids strutting around in fancy clothes, huh!"
Wang Sserang snorted with a chuckle.
But he didn't seem eager to pay extra just to buy them.
Catching on, Kangyul pointed to another item on the stall.
"Throw that in too, and we'll swap."
"...Soap?"
It wasn't even a full bar—just scraps pieced together.
Wang Sserang scratched his nose, pondered, then nodded.
A quick calculation showed he'd still come out ahead.
"...No shoes for sale?"
"Not these ones."
Kangyul changed into the new clothes and left the stall.
Dressed like a North Korean, he almost felt like he'd become one.
"It's not just about clean clothes—we need to wash up now."
Behind the market flowed a large river.
Kids played in it, and plenty of people fetched water from it.
Kangyul overheard passersby call it the Daedong River, pinpointing their exact location.
"Daedong River—the big one that cuts through Pyongyang, right?"
"Yes. Looks like our kidnappers aren't ordinary folks."
At the riverbank, the two stripped down and washed thoroughly in the Daedong.
The soap—mere scraps—vanished quickly despite using little.
Still, it was enough to clean both Kangyul and Yi Eoksang.
"Feels refreshing after a wash."
Slipping into their new clothes made them look downright presentable.
"My body smells like roses now. Rose soap, I guess."
"Huh? Mine smells like cucumber."
Kangyul sniffed the odd scents clinging to their skin and headed back into the market.
"Wanna grab something to eat?"
Since the kidnapping, they'd survived on pills alone and were starving.
Yi Eoksang especially, having carried Kangyul over the mountains, felt utterly drained.
Kangyul sat at a nearby food stall.
The owner, who had shooed them away in their filthy state earlier, now welcomed them with a broad smile.
"What'll it be?"
Kangyul scanned the menu board on the stall.
It was less a proper menu and more a rough wooden plank scrawled in red ink.
[Corn Noodle Soup 500 won]
[Wheat Flour Dumplings 500 won each]
[Seaweed Rice Roll Small 50 won Large 100 won]
[Artificial Meat Rice 3 pieces 100 won]
'What's artificial meat rice?'
He knew everything else, but this one was unfamiliar.
The name alone sounded downright bizarre.
But he couldn't exactly ask what artificial meat was.
'They might get suspicious if I don't even know that.'
"Take dollars?"
"Dollars? Even better."
"Then three bowls of corn noodles, two wheat dumplings, two large rice rolls, and three artificial meat rices."
"Whoa, you gonna eat all that?"
Kangyul nodded.
He felt like he could devour everything on the stall and still not be full.
The food came out fast.
The corn noodles were like plain old banquet noodles.
'Just chewier and yellower than Korean noodles, otherwise identical.'
Slurp―
Kangyul and Yi Eoksang dove in wordlessly, scarfing it down.
The hot broth hitting their stomachs unleashed a wave of pent-up hunger.
They polished off the wheat dumplings and rice rolls as sides.
"Here—three artificial meat rices."
Rice balls coated in red seasoning.
They resembled Korean inari sushi at a glance.
'Looks tasty.'
Kangyul picked one up and popped it in his mouth.
Chew chew―
Taste-wise, it was just tofu rice slathered in seasoned sauce.
Kangyul nodded after trying one, and Yi Eoksang dug in eagerly too.
They devoured every last bite.
"Ahh. That hit the spot."
"Wow, you guys are big eaters."
For a finish, Kangyul and Yi Eoksang sipped buckwheat tea before standing.
Handing over a dollar, they got 1,200 North Korean won in change.
'So a dollar's worth about 4,000 won?'
It lined up with rice prices.
After eating, Kangyul continued strolling the market, observing everything.
He eavesdropped on people laughing and chatting.
Just that alone revealed much about North Korea's current state and the people's mindset.
"It's a place that's harshly realistic yet trapped in contradictions."
Nothing like the TV or media portrayals.
People scrambled to survive day-to-day without badmouthing the Party.
A stark contrast to South Korea, where folks cursed the nation at the slightest hardship.
'Corn porridge is 500 won a bowl, but a pack of luxury cigarettes costs 5,000.'
Sugar at 1kg for 3,500 won matched a kilo of rice.
Even funnier: a bowl of jjajangmyeon ran a whopping 6,000 won.
They decried capitalist China and Korea yet adored their culture and goods.
"Inspectors!"
"Run! Inspectors incoming!"
Suddenly, vendors near Kangyul hurriedly packed up and fled.
'What's going on?'
Stalls deeper in shook their heads at the runners.
"Tsk tsk. Locust peddlers—should've just paid up for a proper spot. Can't keep dodging like that."
"No money, so they hop around like locusts!"
Kangyul approached one vendor and asked.
"Sis, how do you set up to sell here? Just pay money?"
"Oh my, this little one's calling me sis. Aren't you just the cutest? You need age and registration to trade here—grow a bit more first."
"My brother'll do it. He's older."
Kangyul tugged at Yi Eoksang's arm behind him.
Yi Eoksang, who'd been sneakily filming, just nodded.
He lacked Kangyul's brazen confidence to mimic the accent.
So he said nothing when possible.
"...Your brother's tall, good skin, solid build. To trade here, go to the market office, pay up, and register."
"Just money?"
"Nah, need money and a citizen ID."
'Citizen ID. That's a problem.'
Kangyul bowed in thanks and slipped away.