What is the point of Shui Ta?

In class on Monday, Dr. Renzi posed the question of why Shen Teh feels as though she needs to adapt another identity. She needs to take on the role of Shui Ta to handle monetary issues when the money is not being given away. She also disguises herself as her male cousin in order to take on a more domineering role. When she is disguised as Shui Ta, Shen Teh is able to stand up for herself in a sense; she is able to deny people and speak her mind more freely. However, I feel as though the disguise of Shui Ta does not effectively perform its duties. As stated in the final pages of act 6, Shen Teh is getting "cut down" because people want money from her. She has to make choices based on things that will not allow her to meet her full potential, which also diminishes her monetary sources. Shen Teh is trying to play all sides, but she cannot, and I feel like Shui Ta was supposed to help her with these issues. This makes me question what good Shui Ta has done for Shen Teh.