did she fall in love with him?
sounds like he had a dower.
dower=dowery
Hard to say if she fell in love with him. She was very mad when she learned her sister had paid thousands to him to bring her to the USA. The mail order bride thought he just wanted to marry an Asian girl. She was none too happy when she learned he was paid to marry her.
It all worked out and they are still together after a dozen or more years. Maybe she fell in love with him and maybe she just sees it as her duty to her family? He thinks she loves him, but who knows?