In encounters between sick women and their male doctors, women were often shy about their issues and frequently made the doctor's work more difficult by concealing the extent all symptoms. Even if they did confess all their symptoms, doctors, such as Cheng, would consider the majority of the illness to be linked to some problem concerning the woman's reproductive system or cycle. One of the stories Cheng discussed in his case studies was that of Fan Jisuo's teenage daughter, who could not be diagnosed because she was unwilling to speak on her symptoms. In this particular case, the illness involved discharge from her intimate areas. Cheng insisted on asking more about her illness and the patient's modesty became a frustrating obstacle.