Cai Chongda grew up as the only son of a former gang leader turned gas station owner in a rural fishing village in Fujian province. When his father has a stroke that paralyzes the left side of his body, Cai must become the head of his family, working alongside his mother and older sister to shoulder medical bills and a rapidly changing Chinese society. As Cai works his way through university and moves to Beijing eventually becoming the editorial director of GQ China, he finds his life increasingly at odds with the family he supports but left behind. In the spirit of The Glass Castle and Hillbilly Elegy, VESSEL neither romanticizes nor patronizes the elder generation, instead offering a way forward where tradition enriches modern life.