She was a child bride growing up — her life was full of hardship.
Tips
culture
Historical practice: a poor family would give a young daughter to another household to be raised alongside the future husband. Banned by the 1950 Marriage Law (婚姻法) but appears constantly in literature about old China.
memory
Break it down: 童 (child) + 养 (raise) + 媳 (daughter-in-law) — "a child raised to be a daughter-in-law."
