After the war many people were left destitute, with only the four walls of their homes.
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history
From《史记·司马相如列传》: when Zhuo Wenjun eloped with the poor scholar Sima Xiangru and arrived at his home in Chengdu, 家居徒四壁立 — the house held nothing but four standing walls.
usage
徒 here means 'only' (a classical sense), not 'apprentice.' Describes the state of a home, so the subject is usually a household or person, with the home as backdrop.
